<p>Guwahati: Assam CM <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/india/assam/what-will-a-putlaa-do-assam-cm-himanta-jabs-humayun-kabir-over-building-babri-style-mosque-in-murshidabad-3901589">Himanta Biswa Sarma</a> on Tuesday said Sonia Gandhi had asked him to get ready for his swearing-in as CM amid conflict with Tarun Gogoi way back in 2014-2015 but Rahul Gandhi blocked the process.</p><p>Sarma was referring to the crisis in Congress between 2013 and 2015 due the conflict between him and Tarun Gogoi, the CM then, who died in 2020.</p><p>"At least 58 MLAs were in favour of me becoming the CM and a few senior legislators had taken neutral stand. Only 12 MLAs were not in my favour. Sonia Gandhi asked me to get ready for the swearing-in as CM. But that didn't materialise. Later we came to know that Rahul Gandhi, who was in the US then, made calls to block the process," he said. </p><p>Sarma, who led the dissident MLAs against Tarun Gogoi, subsequently quit Congress and joined BJP in August 2015. Several Congress MLAs also switched to BJP with Sarma. </p><p>In 2016 elections, BJP dislodged Gogoi-led Congress government and formed its first government in Assam with Sarbanandana Sonowal as the CM. Sarma, who was a close aide of Tarun Gogoi, got upset when his son, Gaurav, became active and allegedly interfered in the activities of the government. BJP again formed the government in 2021, when Sonowal was replaced by Sarma as the CM. </p>.Assam CM Himanta Sarma slams Congress leaders over 'offensive gestures' towards women.<p>Gaurav was elected to Lok Sabha in 2014, 2019 and 2024. He was made the president of Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) last year and is the main face in the Opposition camp gearing up to take on Sarma and his team in the ensuing Assembly elections. </p><p>Sarma referred to the 2015 episode in Congress hours after Bhupen Kumar Borah, a former president of APCC, quit Congress and claimed that Sarma was sidelined in Congress despite 58 MLAs endorsing him as the CM. Borah, who was replaced by Gaurav as the APCC in May 2025, is also likely to join BJP. </p>
<p>Guwahati: Assam CM <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/india/assam/what-will-a-putlaa-do-assam-cm-himanta-jabs-humayun-kabir-over-building-babri-style-mosque-in-murshidabad-3901589">Himanta Biswa Sarma</a> on Tuesday said Sonia Gandhi had asked him to get ready for his swearing-in as CM amid conflict with Tarun Gogoi way back in 2014-2015 but Rahul Gandhi blocked the process.</p><p>Sarma was referring to the crisis in Congress between 2013 and 2015 due the conflict between him and Tarun Gogoi, the CM then, who died in 2020.</p><p>"At least 58 MLAs were in favour of me becoming the CM and a few senior legislators had taken neutral stand. Only 12 MLAs were not in my favour. Sonia Gandhi asked me to get ready for the swearing-in as CM. But that didn't materialise. Later we came to know that Rahul Gandhi, who was in the US then, made calls to block the process," he said. </p><p>Sarma, who led the dissident MLAs against Tarun Gogoi, subsequently quit Congress and joined BJP in August 2015. Several Congress MLAs also switched to BJP with Sarma. </p><p>In 2016 elections, BJP dislodged Gogoi-led Congress government and formed its first government in Assam with Sarbanandana Sonowal as the CM. Sarma, who was a close aide of Tarun Gogoi, got upset when his son, Gaurav, became active and allegedly interfered in the activities of the government. BJP again formed the government in 2021, when Sonowal was replaced by Sarma as the CM. </p>.Assam CM Himanta Sarma slams Congress leaders over 'offensive gestures' towards women.<p>Gaurav was elected to Lok Sabha in 2014, 2019 and 2024. He was made the president of Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) last year and is the main face in the Opposition camp gearing up to take on Sarma and his team in the ensuing Assembly elections. </p><p>Sarma referred to the 2015 episode in Congress hours after Bhupen Kumar Borah, a former president of APCC, quit Congress and claimed that Sarma was sidelined in Congress despite 58 MLAs endorsing him as the CM. Borah, who was replaced by Gaurav as the APCC in May 2025, is also likely to join BJP. </p>