Himanta vs Gogoi: Pakistan Visit Row Heats Up Assam Polls
Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi at the Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati (Image Gogoi on X)
Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma escalates Pakistan-link allegations against Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi ahead of elections; Congress accuses BJP of polarisation
By NIRENDRA DEV
Guwahati, February 9, 2026 —With Assam Assembly elections drawing closer, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma HAS stepped up his attack on Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi over the latter’s visit to Pakistan in 2013, triggering a sharp political confrontation that the Congress dismissed as a “desperate attempt to polarise voters.”
Addressing a lengthy press conference in Guwahati on the findings of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe, Sarma claimed that Pakistan, described by him as an “enemy nation”, maintains detailed surveillance records of visitors—particularly political figures—and warned that such material could be used for “blackmail” in the future.
“When you visit an enemy country, every movement is recorded—who you met, where you stayed, what conversations took place. The danger is not just today, but tomorrow,” the Chief Minister said, alleging that Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi, his British wife Elizabeth Colburn, and Pakistani national Ali Tauqeer Sheikh shared a “deep connection.”
Sarma further alleged that Gogoi undertook a “very confidential” visit to Pakistan and suggested that he may have undergone “some kind of training”, insisting that the Congress leader must clarify the circumstances of his travel and make public relevant official communications.
The Congress, however, rejected the allegations outright, accusing the BJP of engineering a political controversy to divert attention from governance failures and incumbency pressure ahead of the polls. Gogoi described Sarma’s press conference as a “flop cinema” that failed to convince even journalists present.
“He tried hard for almost 2.5 hours, but even after that, journalists remained unconvinced. When you hear their questions, you will know why,” Gogoi said, adding that the timing of the allegations revealed the BJP’s intent to polarise the pre-election mood.
Responding to questions about his Pakistan visit, Gogoi said he had travelled to the country in late 2013 and early 2014 after informing the Central government. He said his wife had travelled earlier for a climate-related international project and that he accompanied her as a spouse.
Clarifying his itinerary, Gogoi said his visa permitted travel to Lahore and that he also visited Takshashila (Taxila) out of personal interest after informing authorities, maintaining that all travel documents were submitted to the Indian government upon his return.
“Didn’t the Modi government notice the visa stamps then?” Gogoi asked, asserting that his press conference was aimed at preventing Assam’s voters from being misled.
The political escalation comes at a sensitive moment for the BJP, which faces incumbency pressure and growing discontent in parts of Upper Assam—an Ahom-dominated region where Gogoi, himself an Ahom leader, secured a significant victory in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
While Sarma’s strategy appears aimed at consolidating nationalist sentiment, a section of BJP leaders privately acknowledge that raising the Pakistan issue may not resonate electorally, with voters more concerned about unemployment, drinking water shortages and lack of industrial growth.
With poll dates expected to be announced soon, the sharpening war of words signals that Assam’s election battle is moving rapidly toward a high-stakes, polarised contest.
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