Himanta Sarma Exclusive Interview: 'Rahul Gandhi Should Contest Polls From Pakistan' — Assam CM

Exclusive: Himanta Biswa Sarma said Rahul Gandhi did the right thing by not contesting LS polls from Amethi as he would have lost by lakhs of votes, but from Raebareli, he will lose by thousands. 

Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma attacks Congress leader Rahul Gandhi ( Image Source :PTI )

Himanta Biswa Sarma Interview: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma took a dig at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday, saying he should contest polls from Pakistan so he could end the instability there. Sarma made the comment in reference to former Pakistan minister Fawad Hussain's "praise" for Rahul Gandhi on social media platform X for one of his speeches. 

"Rahul Gandhi should form the government by contesting elections not here but from Pakistan," said the Bharatiya Janata Party leader in an interview to ABP News. "After all he has been close to the Muslim League. Anyway, there is political instability in Pakistan. Rahul Gandhi is a great political scientist. Maybe instability will end in Pakistan," he added.   

राहुल गांधी के रायबरेली से चुनाव लड़ने को लेकर क्या बोले हिमंता बिस्वा सरमा?

असम के मुख्यमंत्री @himantabiswa से abp संवाददाता @manogyaloiwal की EXCLUSIVE बातचीतhttps://t.co/smwhXURgtc#Assam #AssamCM #HimantaBiswaSarma #LokSabhaElections2024 #Elections2024 #RahulGandhi… pic.twitter.com/HIOHiGLg2F

— ABP News (@ABPNews) May 5, 2024

Rahul Would Have Lost Amethi By Lakhs Of Votes: Himanta  

On Rahul entering the Lok Sabha poll fray from Raebareli instead of Amethi, Sarma said the Congress leader did the right thing. "Had he contested the elections from Amethi, he would have lost by lakhs of votes. But now that he is contesting the elections from Raebareli, he will lose by thousands of votes." 

On a sarcastic note, the Assam CM added: "BJP was actually 'afraid' of Rahul Gandhi, but ever since he said 'daro mat (don't be afraid)', we learnt from him not to be afraid and now we are not afraid of him." He also spoke about what the Congress sees as an election issue, and said: "Rahul feels that love jihad is not an issue, for him caste census is an issue. As long as Rahul remains, Congress will never see the ground realities."

Asmed to comment on the sex scandal case involving MP Prajwal Revanna, a prominent leader from the JD(S) with whom the BJP is in an alliance in Karnataka, Sarma chose to slam the Congress, as he asked why did the party's government in the state not take action when it had known about the matter for the last two years.