TMC MP Sushmita Dev has launched a sharp political attack on Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, challenging him to contest the 2026 Assembly elections from constituencies, namely, Dibrugarh, Jorhat or Tinsukia in upper Assam instead of his home turf, Jalukbari.
“If he wins from these places, only then will we consider him a true Assamese,” said Sushmita, during her visit to the Sribhumi district commissioner’s office.
The Trinamool Congress leader's bold challenge is being viewed as a direct provocation to the BJP’s stronghold politics and comes amid growing political friction ahead of the upcoming elections.
Sushmita Dev also took aim at the BJP-led state government’s persistent failure to fulfil one of its core promises— identifying and deporting illegal immigrants. Despite nearly a decade in power, she noted, the government has made little substantive progress on the issue.
“With just six months left for the elections, the Chief Minister is suddenly invoking the foreigner issue. This is nothing but a desperate move. He’s losing ground politically, and now he’s targeting the poor through eviction drives to divert public attention,” she alleged.
Dev’s remarks echo a broader opposition narrative accusing the Assam government of using eviction as a tool of intimidation, particularly in minority-dominated areas.
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Her comments came a day after West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee accused the BJP in Assam of pushing a divisive agenda. In a strongly worded statement, Mamata condemned the persecution of linguistic minorities under the guise of nationalism.
“To threaten citizens, who want to coexist peacefully while respecting all languages and religions, with persecution for upholding their mother tongue is discriminatory and unconstitutional,” Mamata said.
The back-to-back statements from top TMC leaders indicate that the party is positioning itself as a defender of pluralism, linguistic rights and social justice in the Northeast, an area the BJP has long tried to consolidate under its ideological umbrella.
As the Assam Assembly elections in Assam is scheduled in 2026, political rhetoric in the state is intensifying. The opposition appears to be targeting the BJP on issues ranging from of governance to accountability and the ruling BJP is doubling down on its identity-driven agenda.
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