Congress reserved for blue bloods, not commoners: CM Sarma

Guwahati, May 27: In a political statement following the appointment of Gaurav Gogoi as the new president of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC), Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma accused the Congress of being elitist and biased against leaders from modest backgrounds.

Speaking to the press in Delhi on Monday, Sarma said, “The Congress party has again proved that it favours individuals from blue blood families. It has no space for people from humble homes like Bhupen Bora or myself. When elections are far, they use people from small families to do the hard work, but when its time for ticket distribution, they hand over leadership to dynastic families like Gogoi’s.”

He further added, “A few months ago, I had told Bhupen Bora on a flight that his position would be gone by April or May. Today that stands true. Congress is not a party of the people — it is a club for the privileged.”

Sarma's remarks drew attention to what he described as the Congress party’s long-standing culture of dynasty politics. “Gaurav Gogoi’s elevation is not based on merit or mass connect, but purely on his lineage. The Congress prefers surnames over service, families over fieldwork,” he said.

The Chief Minister contrasted Congress’s leadership style with that of the BJP. “In the BJP, even a tea seller can become the Prime Minister. In Congress, if you don’t come from a political family, you can only be a temporary worker. The moment elections come, you’ll be replaced by someone with the right last name,” he remarked.

While Sarma did mention other contentious allegations, including questions around perceived "Pakistan links" in Gogoi’s family, the core of his criticism was centered on Congress’s “blue blood syndrome” and how that undermines grassroots democracy.

Responding to the remarks, Gaurav Gogoi, speaking from Patna during a party tour in Bihar, said, “I will respond to these baseless allegations on the soil of Assam. My roots are in this land and I owe my service to the people here, not to a lineage or a title.”

He also thanked senior leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge for reposing faith in him, and reaffirmed Congress’s commitment to inclusivity, democratic values, and national security.