CJP spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka has reiterated the outfit's demand for CEC Gyanesh Kumar's resignation, alleging the exclusion of 13 crore names from electoral rolls and questioning the BJP's defence of Kumar. The CJP plans a nationwide protest starting October 2, vowing not to back down until Kumar resigns, and has launched the 'Election Commission Thik Karo' campaign. Ranka also accused the CEC of fraudulently redrawing constituencies in Assam to benefit the ruling party.
Former Assam Congress president Bhupen Borah, who resigned recently, is set to join the BJP, citing humiliation within the Congress party. He also responded to allegations of accepting money to switch parties.
In a significant development ahead of the assembly elections, former Assam Congress president Bhupen Borah is set to join the BJP, according to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has accused Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma of corruption and land grabbing, promising action if the Congress party wins the upcoming elections in Assam. Gandhi also criticised the BJP's governance and economic policies.
'There is a saying in Assamese about inflicting pain on an adversary: He cut my hands with a sword and rubbed salt into my wounds.' 'This has never been the BJP's culture but it started happening openly and frequently under Himanta Biswa Sarma.'
Chinese President Xi Jinping notably skipped a gala dinner hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for BRICS leaders and other dignitaries, with sources suggesting he returned to his hotel to rest. Meanwhile, a grand cultural performance, 'BRICS Symphony - One Rhythm, Many Cultures', featuring artistes from member countries, was a highlight of the evening.
Sarma said the defamation case will be filed after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Guwahati on April 14.
The Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) has criticised Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma after its Guwahati Central candidate, Kunki Chowdhury, was summoned by police in connection with an election-related case. The AJP alleges the ruling BJP is using intimidation tactics due to Chowdhury's strong performance.
A special court in Assam has rejected the bail petition of Shyamkanu Mahanta, the prime accused in the death of singer Zubeen Garg, citing a risk of him fleeing the country.
The Assam Assembly has passed the Uniform Civil Code Bill, aiming to establish a common legal framework for marriage, divorce, succession, and live-in relationships, irrespective of religion. This makes Assam the third state in India to pass such a bill, following Uttarakhand and Gujarat.
Opposition parties have accused the state government of using force and ignoring rehabilitation concerns.
"Sometimes Sachin Tendular scored a century, sometimes he got out for Zero," Biswa said while reacting to party's loss in Karnataka.
For the chief minister and Assam alike, the road ahead is full of challenges, notes Aditi Phadnis.
Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera has moved the Gauhati High Court seeking anticipatory bail in connection with a criminal case filed by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sharma, over allegations related to multiple passports and undisclosed overseas assets.
Bollywood superstar Salman Khan has initiated a multi-phase relief drive through his Being Human organisation and fan club in Assam, providing food, medicines, and essentials to families affected by devastating floods, with plans for long-term rehabilitation support.
Rupamoni Gorh has become the first woman from Assam to scale Mount Everest as part of an all-women expedition team of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).
Congress deputy leader in Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi claimed in a social media post that the website of the Ministry of Food Processing shows the CM's wife Riniki Bhuyan Sarma's firm Pride East Entertainments Pvt Ltd has received Rs 10 crore as part of credit credit-linked subsidy.
Opposition Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) candidate Kunki Chowdhury has filed a police complaint regarding alleged deepfake videos circulating on social media that defame her family, following claims made by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma about her mother's food habits.
Sarma, who heads the Bharatiya Janata Party-led North East Development Alliance (NEDA), met Sangma at a hotel in Guwahati on Tuesday night, they said.
Bhupen Borah's resignation and swift switch to the BJP has dealt the Congress a major setback in Assam just weeks before the Assembly elections.
The BJP knows that there is no leader in its ranks who can match Modi's popularity or have his cult following, and what awaits is a return to the Vajpayee numbers, when allies called the shots, argues Saisuresh Sivaswamy.
Opposition parties, including the Congress, have criticised the government for issuing the order to control communal tension in Dhubri town.
Opposition parties question the Assam police's murder charges in the Zubeen Garg death case after a Singapore coroner ruled out foul play, while Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma defends the state's investigation.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has accused Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi's British wife of collecting intelligence documents on behalf of the Pakistani climate lobby. Sarma claims to have documentary evidence of Gogoi and his wife's ties with Pakistan and will reveal everything publicly by September 10. Gogoi has denied the allegations, calling them a "C-grade Bollywood movie" and stating that he has only visited Pakistan once 12 years ago. Sarma alleges that Gogoi's wife, Elizabeth Colburn, worked for the climate lobby and had a close relationship with Pakistan.
Kejriwal also said such threats by Sarma are unbecoming of a chief minister. Sarma had on Friday threatened to file a defamation case against Kejriwal if the AAP leader alleged corruption cases against him outside the assembly.
Sarma also criticised the Opposition Congress for not condemning the "objectionable statement" by the Karnataka minister.
A major tragedy was averted in Assam's Hojai district on Wednesday when forest personnel alerted the Rajdhani Express after spotting a large herd of elephants crossing a railway track, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.
In the Opposition camp, the Congress, which contested 99 seats, won 19 constituencies, while the Badruddin Ajmal-led AIUDF and Akhil Gogoi-led Raijor Dal secured two seats each, and the Trinamool Congress bagged one constituency.
Violence continued for the second consecutive day in Assam's West Karbi Anglong district on Tuesday as protesters demanding the eviction of non-tribals set fire to shops and vehicles, forcing the administration to suspend Internet and mobile data services to prevent further escalation.
"Who is Shahrukh Khan? I don't know anything about him or his film Pathaan," was Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's curt answer to queries by reporters in Guwahati on Saturday.
Assam's flood death toll has risen to 80, with two new fatalities reported from Sivasagar district, as eight districts and over 2.12 lakh people remain affected. The state government has announced a six-month moratorium on loan repayments for flood-affected individuals and is seeking a special support package from the Centre.
Several social media users said that the red-bound Constitution is a coat pocket edition, which has been presented to top Indian leaders, including the President and the Union Home minister.
'All these people who came from the Congress -- all outsiders -- have been given complete control of the party.' 'Today, we get no response or protection from the central leadership.' 'You can't run a party thinking only your people matter and nobody else should remain.'
People from the Hindu community blocked roads in Hojai during the day, alleging that some pieces of meat were thrown by miscreants on Saturday night, and while Muslims also held another roadblock and the police had to use batons to disperse protesters, a senior officer said.
Assam has become the first state in India to directly venture into oil production, following the discovery of hydrocarbons at the Namrup-Borhat block.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday said he replaced India with Bharat in his Twitter bio to reflect his 'journey' from the Congress to Bharatiya Janata Party, in a dig at the opposition coalition.
'Never before has the Congress been part of a rainbow coalition, and the response from the people has been overwhelming.' 'Assam's diversity cannot be represented by a single voice -- it requires a collective effort, and that is what we are building.'
The newly-built stadium at Sariahtali in Nalbari district of Assam will host the seventh leg of Indian Athletics Series on June 6.
Assam is set to hold elections for its 126-member assembly, with a direct contest expected between the BJP-led NDA and the Congress-led opposition. Key candidates and constituencies are in focus as the state prepares to vote.
Sarma, while responding to reporters' questions on high price of veggies in Guwahati, had said, "Vegetables are not priced so high in villages. Here the Miya vendors charge us more. Had it been Assamese vendors selling vegetables, they wouldn't have fleeced their own people."
