Ahead of upcoming Assam assembly elections, senior Congress leader and Lok Sabha MP Priyanka Gandhi has portrayed Assam to be a victim of a ‘double-ghulami’ (double-slavery) BJP government.
Addressing a large poll rally in Nazira on Wednesday, the Congress leader launched a scathing attack on the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling him a “slave” of the United States. She also targeted Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
“They had spoken of a double-engine government. Didn’t they say so in the last election? Modi ji used to come and say that now they will run a double-engine government. But they have run a government of double-slavery. Modi ji has become a slave to America and because of his policies today the entire country is in crisis. And Hemanta ji is Modi ji’s slave. And on top of that, they want this government of double-slavery to make the people of this beautiful and self-respecting state of Assam slaves, keep them suppressed,” she said.
In her critique of the BJP led Assam government in power, Gandhi claimed BJP’s has hailed tribal communities in the region by not granting scheduled tribe (ST) status to six key tribal groups in Assam.
This rally in Sivasagar district’s Nazira marked the beginning of her campaign for the 2026 Assam Assembly Elections, where she campaigned in support of sitting MLA and Leader of Opposition Debabrata Saikia.
In her address, Priyanka Gandhi further alleged that the BJP government had handed over all resources of Assam including mines and land to big industrialists, leaving almost nothing for the people of the region.
While Gandhi did not name any industrialist in her speech, many believe she was referring to the Adani group which recently won a bid to set up an Ultra Super Critical power plant in Assam under the Design, Build, Finance, Own and Operate (DBFOO) model.
Show of strength
The rally was a massive show of strength for Debabrata Saikia, the sitting MLA of Nazira, whose family has represented the seat for decades. By starting her campaign here, Gandhi signaled that Congress is focusing heavily on reclaiming its traditional base in Upper Assam to stop the BJP’s hat-trick ambitions.
Electoral context
The 2026 Assam Assembly Elections are being held in a single phase on April 9, with results scheduled for May 4. The BJP, led by CM Himanta Biswa Sarma, is seeking a third consecutive term, banking on welfare schemes and infrastructure projects like the semiconductor plant in Jagiroad.
The Congress-led Asom Sonmilito Morcha (United Opposition Forum) is attempting a comeback by tapping into grievances regarding the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), the rising cost of living, and the “outsider” control of local resources.