Assam: Gaurav Gogoi, who is shy to wear an Ahom dress, wears a cap on Eid, says Jayanta Malla Baruah

Assam BJP Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah on March 15 targeted Assam Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi, casting doubt on his electoral prospects. Baruah's remarks centered on Gogoi's transition from contesting elections in his late father's name, Tarun Gogoi, to running under his own banner.

Baruah stated, "What will happen with Gaurav Gogoi, I don't know, but this time Gaurav Gogoi is contesting elections not in his late father's name, late Tarun Gogoi, but he will contest himself. Until now, he was contesting elections in the name of his father and taking 'gaurav' (pride). Now, this time, since he is contesting elections all by himself, he will himself know the result."

The BJP Minister further delved into the cultural and linguistic aspects of Assamese identity, suggesting that mere fluency in Hindi and distance from Assamese traditions might not suffice in representing the state. He stated the importance of understanding Assam's culture and language, insinuating that these were integral to effective political representation.

"In Assam, if an Assamese does not know how to speak Assamese properly, doesn't understand the culture and tradition of Assam, staying in Delhi and speaking Hindi will not make someone a good politician from Assam," Baruah remarked. He continued, questioning the authenticity of Gogoi's Assamese identity, particularly citing instances where Gogoi allegedly shied away from wearing traditional attire on significant occasions.

Gaurav Gogoi is gearing up to contest from Jorhat, a significant move following the scrapping of his Kaliabor constituency in the delimitation process.
Speaking to the media, Gogoi expressed his satisfaction with the Congress candidate list, emphasizing the inclusion of key party figures. "I am very happy with the list of candidates; I feel that we have put in some of our best candidates. The Mahila Congress state president, the state president of the Seva Dal, general secretary of a district Congress committee, all three have found space," he stated.