Will soon identify Rahul Gandhi’s ‘body double’ used during Nyay Yatra, says Assam CM Himanta

Guwahati, Jan 28: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said he will soon share the name and address of the “body double” purportedly used by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi during the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in the state.

Sarma had brought up the allegation of the Congress MP using a "body double" during the Yatra at a press conference on Thursday, during which he quoted a news report claiming that the person sitting and waving at people from the Yatra bus was "probably not Rahul Gandhi at all."

"I don't just say things. The duplicate's name and how it was done—I will share all details. Just wait for a few days," the chief minister said on Saturday in Sonitpur district on the sidelines of a programme when asked by reporters about the allegation against Gandhi.

“I will be in Dibrugarh tomorrow (Sunday), and the next day I will also be out of Guwahati. Once I am back in Guwahati, I will give the name and address of the duplicate,” he said.

The Manipur-Maharashtra Nyay Yatra, being led by Gandhi, had travelled through Assam from January 18 to 25, during which the Congress MP had alleged that Sarma was the “most corrupt CM of India.”

The opposition party also alleged denials or problems with route permissions through the state by the BJP-led government. The situation reached a flashpoint when Congress leaders and workers broke police barricades erected to prevent them from entering the main city limits of Guwahati.

An FIR was registered against Gandhi and others over the incident, with Sarma later stating that they would be arrested after the Lok Sabha polls as he did not want to “politicise” the issue prior to the elections.

Sarma maintained that the Congress will need “all the Gandhis"—Sonia, Priyanka and Rahul—to defeat him in the state.

“Let them bring Priyanka Gandhi’s son also,” he said.

“They have already put up their hands (in surrender). They couldn’t do it through Rahul, so they will now get Priyanka and then Sonia,” Sarma said, referring to the Congress’ proposed programme in the state involving Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

On BJP and its allies’ Lok Sabha poll prospects in the state, the CM said, “We have 11-and-a-half assured seats. We are working on how to convert it into 12. We are not bothered about any Congress list (of candidates).” There are 14 Lok Sabha seats in the state. Of those, nine are currently held by the BJP, three by Congress, one by AIUDF and one by the Independent.