Himanta vs Gaurav: Old ‘wounds’ fuel family feud in Assam

More than a decade-old rivalry between Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi has made the spouses of two leaders targets of political attacks in the northeastern state.

Guwahati: The ‘sudden’ push former chief minister Tarun Gogoi provided for the entry of his ‘reluctant’ son Gaurav into politics (Congress) during 2012 and 2013 perhaps laid the ground for a massive change in Assam’s political landscape.

As Gaurav started making his presence felt in the affairs of his father’s government as well as in Congress, Tarun Gogoi’s ‘trusted lieutenant’ and senior minister Himanta Biswa Sarma became upset. This, according to veteran Gogoi, led Himanta to rebel against him.

Gaurav, who was initially reluctant to enter politics, formally joined the Congress in 2014. A year later, Himanta, along with a few other MLAs, switched over to the BJP. “He wanted to be the chief minister immediately,” Tarun Gogoi had said. 

In 2013, Gaurav got married to UK-born Elizabeth Colbourne. He was first elected to the Lok Sabha in 2014 from Kaliabor, a bastion of the Gogoi family. Tarun Gogoi and his brother Dip had been elected from Kaliabor before Gaurav.

In the 2016 Assembly elections, BJP wrested power from three-time CM Tarun Gogoi and formed its first government in Assam. Himanta was credited for the saffron party’s debut in the state. Tarun Gogoi died due to Covid-related complications in 2020. In 2021, Himanta finally fulfilled his CM ambition when the BJP replaced Sarbananda Sonowal with him. Gaurav too rose in the Congress after winning the Lok Sabha polls again in 2019 when he was made the deputy leader of the party in the Lower House. The grand old party retained 42-year-old Gaurav in the post after his third straight win in 2024. 

Spouses targeted

As Congress-BJP power play continued in Assam, spouses of both Himanta and Gaurav fell target to political attacks. Congress often alleged that Himanta’s wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sarma, an entrepreneur, got undue benefits from the BJP-led governments, both at the Centre and in the state. This took a serious turn in 2023 when Gaurav demanded an inquiry alleging that Riniki’s company, Pride East Entertainment Private Limited, which runs news outlets (news channels and newspapers) and other businesses, got credit-linked subsidies of Rs 10 crores under the Centre’s Kisan Sampada Scheme. Riniki denied the allegations and even filed a defamation suit against Gaurav. Congress and Gaurav continued to target Himanta’s wife alleging her involvement in several land scams and for running a private school and other businesses.

Sensational revelations 

Earlier this month, it was Himanta’s turn when he targeted Gaurav’s wife Elizabeth alleging her links with Pakistan’s ISI. Himanta claimed that Elizabeth had worked in Lead Pakistan, an NGO led by Ali Tauqeer Sheikh, a Pakistan-based climate activist, whose social media posts suggested anti-India behaviours. Sarma, 56 now, questioned why Elizabeth visited Pakistan even after her marriage to Gaurav in 2013. “The question is why she has not yet taken Indian citizenship? She is the daughter-in-law of a prominent politician in Assam, Tarun Gogoi, who served as chief minister for three terms. Even Sonia Gandhi gave up Italian citizenship and is now an Indian,” Sarma said. 

On February 15, a Cabinet meeting chaired by Sarma in Guwahati asked DGP Harmeet Singh to register a case. The next day, a case was registered against Sheikh and some “unknown persons” under sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Bhartiya Nyaya Samhita (BNS) to investigate alleged anti-India activities. “I have got details that suggest many things against sovereignty and our national security. The people of Assam will be shocked to see the sensational revelations in the investigation,” Sarma said. “Despite still being a British citizen, she even actively took part in the election of her husband Gaurav Gogoi during the Lok Sabha polls in 2019 and 2024. I have asked the police to investigate whether she violated her visa and passport norms by taking part in our elections.” 

Sarma also questioned why Gaurav visited Pakistan High Commission with a group of students under the banner of his think tank Youth Forum on Foreign Policy and even raised questions about Gaurav’s questions in the Lok Sabha about the security mechanism in place on the coastal borders.

Gaurav and Congress have rejected the allegations and threatened to take legal action. “CM Sarma is attacking my family because he could not answer the questions about the illegalities being committed by his wife’s company and the businesses. He is scared about losing to Congress in the 2026 Assembly elections. He is worried that after the Congress-led government comes to power in 2026, he will have to answer those questions to the people about the failure of his government,” Gaurav said. Congress said Sarma was attacking Gaurav as he established himself as the face of the Opposition in Assam ahead of the 2026 polls. 

Politics of vendetta

Political observers in Assam said Sarma launched the attack on Gaurav in order to stop his rise in politics and thereby take revenge for the “old wounds” inflicted by his late father Tarun Gogoi on his ambition to become the CM when he was in the Congress. 

However, Prasenjit Biswas, a senior professor of philosophy at North East Hill University, Shillong described the squabbling as politics of vendetta. “Democratic politics must restore a place of mutual and healthy criticism. Personal attacks using state power don’t befit anyone interested in Assam and the cause of its people. Let people judge instead of political rivals throwing aspersions at each other.”

Highlights -

Gaurav Gogoi

3-time MP and son of former CM Tarun Gogoi

Masters in public administration from New York University

Joined Congress in 2014 Ran his think-tank Youth Forum on Foreign Policy In 2013, married British citizen Elizabeth Coulborne 

The couple has a son and daughter

Deputy-leader of Congress in Lok Sabha since 2019

Himanta Biswa Sarma  

5-time MLA (last 2 terms in BJP) Was in Congress till 2015

Masters in political science, PhD from Gauhati University

Became CM in 2021

Married to Riniki Bhuyan Sarma

Riniki is former tennis player and daughter of a prominent industrialist

She owns Pride East Entertainment Pvt Limited, a company that runs 2 satellite news channels, a digital channel, an Assamese daily and a few other businesses  

The couple has a son and a daughter.