Himanta Sarma challenges Rahul Gandhi to seek Congress govts’ resignations for ballot paper polls

Assam Chief Minister described the Congress's 'vote chori' protest as an attempt to effect regime change without public support.

A collage of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma (R) (Photo | PTI, ANI)

GUWAHATI: Amid the controversy surrounding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday advocated conducting an SIR across the country once every five years.

Addressing a press conference in Guwahati, he said SIR was imperative in light of the continuous infiltration of people from Bangladesh.

Training his guns on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Sarma said, “You cannot blackmail the Supreme Court and the Election Commission. There should be an SIR in the country every five years, considering the demographic shifts in Assam, West Bengal, Jharkhand and Bihar. Only then will our democracy survive and succeed.”

The Chief Minister recalled that Indrajit Gupta had told Parliament during his tenure as Union Home Minister that the names of 30 lakh foreigners were included in Assam’s voter list.

Sarma argued that demographic changes in Assam, West Bengal, Bihar and Jharkhand established ongoing infiltration from Bangladesh.

“Assam deports infiltrators every day by following the law. If there is no SIR in the country, how can we remove the names of lakhs of foreigners from the voter list?” he asked.

Accusing Gandhi and the Congress of acting at the behest of external forces, Sarma alleged that the Leader of the Opposition was busy destroying the country’s democratic institutions by exposing them to anarchy.

“The Congress is trying to blackmail all our democratic institutions. You have threatened the Election Commission and the Supreme Court. I challenge Rahul Gandhi to first ask all Congress governments formed during Gyanesh Kumar’s tenure to resign,” Sarma said.

He also dared the Congress to announce that it would not contest the upcoming elections in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Goa, Manipur and Uttarakhand under Kumar.

“You (Gandhi) became the Leader of the Opposition by winning elections conducted by the Election Commission. The MPs doing drama (in Delhi) also became MPs by winning elections conducted by the same Election Commission. When you win elections, EVMs are fine. When I win, EVMs are bad,” the Chief Minister said.

Rahul Gandhi and his Congress party are mounting an attack on the very foundations of India’s vibrant democracy. Their double standard is plain to see. When Shri @narendramodi Ji is elected Prime Minister, Rahul Gandhi calls it manipulation, yet his own election to Parliament and his subsequent elevation as Leader of the Opposition is beyond question. When Assam votes, the result is unacceptable, when Kerala votes, it is welcomed. Democracy, for the Congress, is valid only when it delivers victory for the Congress. Now, by marching to the Supreme Court despite the Hon’ble Chief Justice of India declining a meeting, Rahul Gandhi seeks to turn political pressure on the highest court of our land. Constitutional institutions cannot be made answerable to a party’s electoral frustrations. The people of Assam will not stay silent. From tomorrow until 31 October, @BJP4Assam will hold peaceful mass rallies at every district headquarters across the state. Through these rallies, we will alert our people to the Cong’s party's attempts to: 1️⃣ Blackmail our constitutional institutions 2️⃣Shield illegal infiltrators by opposing the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) 3️⃣Undermine the democratic mandate of the people At the same time through this program, we will reaffirm our unwavering support for Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji and his vision of a Viksit Bharat by 2047. The people’s mandate deserves respect. Our institutions deserve independence. Neither can be held hostage to political convenience. @BJP4India @NitinNabin @blsanthosh

— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) October 12, 2026

Earlier in the day, he attacked Gandhi and the Congress over their alleged “double standards.”

“When Narendra Modi Ji is elected Prime Minister, Rahul Gandhi calls it manipulation, yet his own election to Parliament and his subsequent elevation as Leader of the Opposition are beyond question,” Sarma posted on X.