Indian National Congress (INC), the party which once ruled the entire northeast, has been almost wiped out of the region today. The downfall of the grand old party in the northeast can be traced back to one significant event – the exit of Himanta Biswa Sarma, according to former senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad.
In this autobiography “Azaad” which is set to release next month, the former Congerss leader pointed the finger at Rahul Gandhi for his mismanagement of the Himanta Biswa Sarma situation and said that it finally led to the downfall of the Congress in Assam and the entire northeastern region.
Apart from being the Chief Minister of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma is a key-figure for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the region. Once a Congressman, he has been credited for being the architect of BJP’s revival in the northeast and continued dominance.
After quitting the grand old party in 2015, Himanta Biswa Sarma not only ensured the defeat of Congress in Assam, but also worked towards knitting alliances with regional parties to gradually wipe out Congress from the region, said Azad.
Ghulam Nabi Azad, who left the Congress in August 2022 to start his own party, blamed Rahul Gandhi for ‘mismanaging’ the Himanta Biswa Sarma episode which ultimately resulted in his exit. He also targeted Sonia Gandhi for not being able to assert herself as the president of the party “despite understanding the disastrous consequences that lay ahead”.
Azad wrote in his book that Rahul Gandhi had bluntly replied “Let him go” when he was told that Himanta Biswa Sarma had the support of a majority of MLAs and would rebel and quit the party. “Rahul told us bluntly that there would be no change in leadership. We pointed out to him (Rahul) that Himanta had the majority of MLAs and would rebel and quit the party. 'Let him go,' Rahul said. The meeting was over,” he wrote.
A former strategist for the Congress in Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma went on to join the BJP. He was followed by 10 MLAs in quitting the party over differences with the party leadership in the state in September 2015.
Just five years after leaving the Congress, Himanta Biswa Sarma became the Assam Chief Minister in 2021 after ensuring BJP’s second successive victory in the state.
Ghulam Nabi Azad, who was part of the mediation efforts with Himanta Biswa Sarma on the directives of Sonia Gandhi, wrote in his autobiography that he was not sure if Rahul said what he did “to assert himself or because he was ignorant that his decision would have far-reaching consequences, not only in the state of Assam but the entire northeast.”
He writes that he apprised Sonia Gandhi of the new “twist in the tale” after the interaction with Rahul Gandhi. “... it is rather unfortunate that she did not assert herself as the party president. Instead, she asked me to request Himanta to not rock the boat,” wrote Azad.
On the other hand, Himanta Biswa Sarma rose to become the Chief Minister of Assam, the convenor of North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) and a key figure of the BJP in central leadership as well. He worked towards grafting alliances with regional parties and helped the BJP consolidate its foothold in the entire northeastern region.
