Himanta Biswa slams Congress 'Family rule', praises BJP's democratic ethos

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma launched a scathing attack on the Congress party while extolling the democratic principles of the BJP at a function on Thursday.

Speaking at the inauguration of a BJP office in Barpeta, Sarma, who switched from the Congress to the BJP, claimed the grand old party's agenda is dictated by "one family" in their dining room.

"The BJP is a democratic party formed by its workers. But Congress and other parties are centered around leaders and families. Decisions are taken in the family dining room and workers just follow," he stated.

Drawing from personal experiences, he recounted anecdotes from a BJP national executive meet where top leaders like Arun Jaitley, Sushma Swaraj and Narendra Modi mingled freely with workers and ate together.

"In Congress, sitting at the same table as Sonia Gandhi or beside Rahul Gandhi is unimaginable," he remarked.

Later in Guwahati, Sarma said questioning the Gandhi family's primacy at a Congress event in front of Sonia Gandhi would be unacceptable. "But Modi himself says nation first, party second, family third. This shows BJP's organizational foundations," he added.

The Chief Minister expressed confidence that the BJP and allies will win over 400 Lok Sabha seats, while the Congress will be reduced to a regional party as its "national aura" fades further after the polls.

Sarma's stinging critique underscores the BJP's attempt to highlight the Congress' "dynastic politics" versus its "democratic" structure in the run up to the high-stakes national elections.