'Laughable advice': Assam BJP hits back at Bhupesh Baghel over flood, price rise remarks

Guwahati: The Assam Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday hit back at Congress General Secretary In-charge of Assam and former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel over his criticism of the state government's handling of floods and rising prices, calling his remarks "laughable" and questioning his own record in office.

Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters in Guwahati, party spokesperson Brojen Mahanta said Baghel was not in a position to lecture Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on governance, pointing to the Congress' defeat in the 2023 Chhattisgarh Assembly elections.

The BJP's response came a day after Baghel, during his visit to the state, urged CM Sarma to focus on flood relief and rising prices in Assam instead of commenting on the 2028 Chhattisgarh Assembly polls.

Baghel had said CM Sarma should be concerned about flood-affected people who, according to him, were not receiving adequate relief despite the state having a "double-engine government".

He also criticised the Assam government over the rising prices of petrol, diesel, cooking gas and sugar.

Turning the criticism back on the Congress leader, Mahanta cited the party's electoral reversal in Chhattisgarh.

He said that Congress had won 68 of the 90 Assembly seats in the 2018 election and formed the government, but was voted out of power in 2023 as the BJP returned to power.

The BJP spokesperson also brought up allegations of corruption and irregularities associated with the previous Congress government in Chhattisgarh, including allegations relating to a liquor scam, an alleged excise syndicate, the Mahadev betting app case, a coal levy racket and alleged irregularities in the state Public Service Commission recruitment process.

Mahanta also attacked the Congress over its criticism of the BJP on democracy, invoking the Emergency imposed by the Indira Gandhi government in 1975.

He said that Congress leaders should remember the political arrests during the Emergency before questioning the BJP's democratic credentials.

The BJP spokesperson also accused the Congress of pursuing "vote-bank politics" on the issue of Assam's indigenous population and alleged that the party had provided political protection and privileges to illegal migrants from Bangladesh.

The sharp exchange comes as the Congress and BJP intensify their political confrontation in Assam, with the upcoming Nagaon Lok Sabha by-election adding another layer to the political contest.

Baghel has said Congress and its alliance partners are working on a joint strategy for the upcoming Assembly bypoll, including issues such as floods and illegal mining.

The latest war of words reflects a broader battle over governance, with Congress targeting the Assam government on flood management and inflation, while the BJP has chosen to counter by questioning Baghel's record as Chhattisgarh Chief Minister and the Congress' political legacy.

With both sides sharpening their attacks, the flood situation, price rise and governance are increasingly emerging as key political flashpoints in Assam.

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