Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday (February 17, 2026) claimed that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi vetoed his mother Sonia Gandhi’s offer to make him the Chief Minister in 2014.
Ms. Gandhi was the Congress president when Mr. Sarma rebelled against the then Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and claimed the support of 58 party MLAs. The Congress had rushed current party president Mallikarjun Kharge to Assam to quell the dissidence.
“When Kharge came, 58 MLAs backed me for the Chief Minister’s post, while some senior leaders remained neutral. Only 12 MLAs said that I should not become the CM and that the incumbent (Tarun Gogoi) should continue,” the Chief Minister told journalists after a State Cabinet meeting.
“Sonia Gandhi called me to her residence and asked me to decide on the date of my swearing-in. I had told Madam that I would take the oath the day after [the June-end] Ambubachi Mela. Later, we came to know that Rahul Gandhi, who was in the U.S.A., called up and Congress changed its decision,” Mr. Sarma said.
Mr. Sarma claimed that Mr. Kharge kept reminding the party leadership that he enjoyed the support of most of the Congress MLAs.
