“If You’re Sad, Watch His Facebook Live,” CM Sarma Takes Swipe at Akhil Gogoi

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday took a sharp dig at Sivasagar MLA Akhil Gogoi while addressing a public gathering in Bokakhat, triggering fresh political sparring between the ruling BJP and the opposition leader.

Speaking during a cheque distribution programme under the “Mahila Udyamita” Scheme in the Bokakhat Assembly constituency, Sarma made a sarcastic remark on Gogoi’s frequent Facebook Live sessions and press interactions.

“People enjoy watching his Facebook Live. If someone is feeling low, they can watch his live sessions. Just like people listen to songs after work to relax, listening to Akhil Gogoi’s press meets and Facebook Lives at night can also refresh the mind,” the Chief Minister said, drawing reactions from the audience.

The comment came shortly after Akhil Gogoi levelled serious allegations against senior BJP leaders, accusing them of attempting to manipulate the ongoing Special Revision (SR) of electoral rolls ahead of the 2026 Assam Assembly elections.

On Tuesday, Gogoi addressed a press conference alleging that the BJP leadership was involved in a conspiracy to tamper with voter lists to suit the party’s political interests. Earlier, during a social media live interaction on January 5, Gogoi claimed that he had come across discussions during a video conference held on January 4, allegedly involving Assam BJP president Dilip Saikia, ministers, MLAs and other party leaders.

According to Gogoi, while the meeting was officially meant to discuss preparations for a wall-writing campaign, deliberations were also held on voter lists. “I was shocked by what I heard. I couldn’t sleep the entire night after listening to those discussions,” Gogoi claimed, asserting that he had heard the conversation himself.

The Sivasagar MLA further alleged that Dilip Saikia had instructed minister Ashok Singhal to oversee “corrections” in voter lists across 60 Assembly constituencies with the aim of removing names of voters who do not support the BJP. He also claimed that BJP MLAs, district presidents and mandal-level leaders were directed to submit booth-wise lists of such voters by January 12.

Accusing the BJP of trying to “prepare Assam’s voter list according to its own convenience,” Gogoi said such actions amounted to a direct attack on democracy and the integrity of the electoral process. He challenged Chief Minister Sarma to make public the video recording of the January 4 meeting if the allegations were false.

Responding indirectly to the political tension while speaking in Bokakhat, Sarma remarked that minor clashes and incidents were common during election periods. “If there are no clashes or if party offices are not vandalised, how will people even know that elections are near?” he said.

During his speech, the Chief Minister also highlighted several initiatives of his government, including schemes for women entrepreneurship and the Arunodoy welfare programme.

He spoke about eviction drives against illegal land encroachment, efforts to protect wildlife in Kaziranga, and raised concerns over the reported persecution of Hindus in Bangladesh.

Also Read: Akhil Gogoi Alleges BJP Plot to Remove ‘Non-Supporters’ from Assam Voter List