'Gaurav Gogoi, Rahul Gandhi talk about sending me to jail whenever elections come': Himanta Biswa Sarma

Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday hit back at the State Congress President Gaurav Gogoi over his remark that the Chief Minister would go to jail if Rahul Gandhi becomes the Prime Minister of India, saying political campaigns should focus on issues concerning voters rather than "jail".

Reacting to Gogoi's statement, CM Sarma has questioned how Rahul Gandhi could become the Prime Minister when the next Lok Sabha election is scheduled for 2029.

"When elections come, one should think about votes, not jail," the Chief Minister said.

"There is no election in the next nine months. How will the election take place? I want to know the formula. The election is in 2029, and Rahul Gandhi is a madman. How can he become the Prime Minister?" he added.

The Chief Minister said that political leaders should instead focus their campaigns on issues that directly affect the people, including roads, schools, colleges and welfare schemes

"Gaurav Gogoi and Rahul Gandhi talk about jail whenever elections come," CM Sarma said, taking a jibe at the Congress leaders.

He also added that elections are decided by ordinary voters and not by people serving jail sentences.

"Prisoners in jail do not vote. The general public votes," CM Sarma said.

Gogoi, who is also the Assam Congress President, had on Thursday claimed that a case would be filed against Chief Minister Sarma "the very next day" if Rahul Gandhi became the Prime Minister and alleged that the Assam Chief Minister would subsequently be sent to jail.

Chief Minister Sarma has previously used similar remarks against Rahul Gandhi while responding to the Congress leader's criticism of the arrest of the party's Nandigram bypoll candidate Milan Pradhan.

The latest war of words comes amid heightened political activity in Assam, with both the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress sharpening their attacks on each other.

The exchange has also brought the focus back to the contrasting narratives being pushed by the two parties, with the Congress targeting the state government over alleged political and legal issues, while Chief Minister Sarma is seeking to shift the debate towards governance, development and welfare measures.

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