Changing Allegiance To Trading Barbs — Rahul-Himanta Feud That's Shaping Assam Politics

Few rivalries in Indian politics have flipped as dramatically as the one between Rahul Gandhi and Himanta Biswa Sarma. What began as a quiet snub inside the Congress has turned into a fierce, personal, and very public war — one that cut through ideology, ambition, and the changing face of Assam politics.

Back in the early 2010s, Himanta was the Congress's most influential leader in Assam, widely credited for back-to-back electoral victories and for navigating the Northeast's complex political terrain. But Rahul Gandhi, by several accounts, didn't see him as essential. In 2014, even when 54 of 78 Congress MLAs backed Himanta to replace Tarun Gogoi as CM. Senior leaders like Mallikarjun Kharge supported the move, but Rahul reportedly shrugged: "Let him go."

Himanta quit in 2015, not quietly, but with the rage of a humiliated man. And he didn't just defect; he delivered the Northeast to the BJP on a saffron platter. From Assam to Arunachal, Manipur to Tripura, his deep political networks and surgical targeting of Congress vulnerabilities made him the BJP's master strategist in the region.

Rahul, for nearly a decade, didn't retaliate. Whether out of indifference or a belief that moral high ground mattered more than mudslinging, he stayed above the fray. But by 2024, that restraint had cracked. Rahul began going after Himanta directly, branding him as corrupt, arrogant, communal, and emblematic of everything he believed was rotten in Modi-era politics.

At a July 16 rally in Assam's Chaygaon, Rahul thundered: "Your CM thinks he's the king; the lions of Congress will catch him. He'll be in jail soon." It was personal. It wasn't about the BJP. It was about Himanta.

Himanta's reply came fast, dripping with sarcasm: "Rahul Gandhi has come all the way just to threaten me," he posted on X, reminding everyone that Rahul himself was out on bail in multiple cases. "He mentioned me in every speech. I must thank him; he's given me a stature I could never have had in Congress."

The irony? Rahul once dismissed Himanta as irrelevant. Now, he's the centerpiece of the Congress campaign in Assam. The same Kharge who backed him for CM in 2014 now flanks Rahul, publicly calling on Himanta to "renovate the jail" ahead of his supposed arrest.

To grasp the depth of their fallout, consider an incident Himanta frequently recalls: during a Congress meeting on Assam, Rahul reportedly left senior leaders waiting as he played with his dog, Pidi, feeding him biscuits. In another meeting, Himanta says he presented over 50 policy points only to get a blank "So what?" from Rahul. These slights, he says, crystallised Congress's dynastic arrogance and planted the seeds of his departure.

Himanta After Departure From Congress

Once out, Himanta didn't hold back. On social media and at rallies, he became Rahul's most aggressive tormentor. He mocked his lineage, intelligence, and political nous. When Rahul demanded proof of the 2016 surgical strike on Pakistan, Himanta shot back: "Did we ever ask you for proof of whether you're Rajiv Gandhi's son?" Cruel. Cutting. Effective.

Rahul's decision to distance himself from turncoats like Himanta might have been rooted in principle, but it cost Congress dearly. Himanta wasn't just another disgruntled leader; he was the architect of their Northeast strategy. Losing him signalled a broader message: there was no room in the party for ambition or realpolitik. The BJP offered both. Himanta became Exhibit A.

Rahul's response of painting Himanta as corrupt and communal hasn't quite stuck. In Assam, the BJP CM's popularity has grown thanks to a mix of populism, Hindutva rhetoric, and assertive governance — traits often missing in Congress-led states.

By 2024, during the Bharat Jodo Yatra, Rahul escalated the feud, calling Himanta "the most corrupt CM in India" and alleging even his family was involved in loot. Himanta hit back: "That's below the belt," accusing Rahul of dragging in his children — students with no political role — into a political slugfest. "Rahul once feared me. Now he fears my son."

This July, things boiled over again. Rahul called for Himanta's arrest. Himanta responded with mock gratitude for the national spotlight. Once dismissed, now centre stage — and, arguably, winning the duel.

This rivalry isn't just personal anymore. It reflects a deeper churn in Indian politics.

First, it highlights the Congress's chronic inability to retain talent. Rahul's indifference turned one of the party's top minds into the BJP's biggest asset in the Northeast. Second, it reveals how the BJP has turned defections into a strategy — recruiting discarded Congress leaders and turning them into regional powerhouses. Third, it shows how personality clashes, not just ideology, are reshaping political narratives.

Himanta is no longer just a state CM. He's a national player, often seen beside Modi and Amit Shah, tipped for bigger things. Rahul, meanwhile, is still trying to recast himself as the conscience of the opposition. But his fixation with Himanta suggests he knows where the real challenge lies.

From biscuit-fed dogs to barbs about jail and corruption, this rivalry has moved beyond political disagreement. It's a full-blown reckoning. And with 2026 and 2029 on the horizon, the man Rahul told the Congress to "let go" is now the one he can't seem to stop chasing.

(The writer is a technocrat, political analyst, and author.)

[Disclaimer: The opinions, beliefs, and views expressed by the various authors and forum participants on this website are personal and do not reflect the opinions, beliefs, and views of ABP Network Pvt. Ltd.]

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