Assam CM Sarma accuses Congress of trying to tarnish democracy via street politics
Synopsis
Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma's broadside against Congress on 5 November is not an isolated remark — it is part of a carefully coordinated BJP counter-campaign spanning Assam, Bihar, and Delhi, pitting the ruling party's 'Save Democracy' messaging directly against the Opposition's 'Vote Bachao' street movement. With Amit Shah joining the attack the same day, the BJP is signalling it intends to fight the electoral rolls row on every platform simultaneously.
Key Takeaways
Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma accused Congress of 'political anarchy' in a post on X on 5 November 2026 .
Sarma said thousands in Dhemaji supported the BJP's 'Save Democracy, Remove Anarchy' campaign.
Congress and INDIA bloc parties have accused the ECI of facilitating 'vote theft' and demanded CEC Gyanesh Kumar's resignation.
Rahul Gandhi led a 'Vote Bachao, Desh Bachao' rally at Ramlila Maidan, Delhi on 1 November .
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday challenged the Opposition to debate the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls inside Parliament.
The BJP's counter-campaign has been active in multiple states including Assam and Bihar .
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday, 5 November 2026, launched a sharp attack on the Indian National Congress, accusing the party of undermining democratic institutions through what he called 'political anarchy'. Sarma alleged that Congress leaders were avoiding parliamentary debate and instead taking to the streets to 'tarnish democracy', as the political confrontation over electoral roll revisions intensified across the country.
Sarma's Remarks and the Dhemaji Campaign
In a post on social media platform X, Chief Minister Sarma said the people of Dhemaji had welcomed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s 'Save Democracy, Remove Anarchy' campaign with 'open hearts'. He claimed the participation of thousands at the event reflected broad public support for the BJP's position that Assam's peace and harmony would not be compromised for what he described as Congress's 'political anarchy and false narratives'.
'They fear debating in Parliament, but roam around taking contracts to tarnish democracy,' Sarma wrote in his X post, sharpening his rhetorical offensive against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and the broader INDIA bloc.
The Electoral Rolls Row at the Centre of the Storm
The escalating war of words stems from a deepening dispute over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The Congress and allied INDIA bloc parties have accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) of facilitating 'vote theft' and have demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The Opposition has warned that the voter-list revision process could strip eligible citizens of their franchise.
The BJP has flatly rejected these allegations, characterising them as deliberate misinformation. On 1 November, Rahul Gandhi and other Opposition leaders addressed a large rally at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan under the 'Vote Bachao, Desh Bachao' banner, amplifying the pressure on the ruling establishment ahead of the parliamentary session.
BJP's Coordinated Counter-Campaign
The BJP's response has been a coordinated, multi-state counter-offensive. The party launched its own 'Loktantra Bachao, Arajakta Hatao' (Save Democracy, Remove Anarchy) campaign directly in response to the Opposition's street protests. Chief Minister Sarma had participated in a similar march in Bihar on Wednesday, where he again targeted Gandhi over his repeated vote-theft allegations.
On Thursday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah also waded into the controversy, accusing Rahul Gandhi of making disruptions and boycotts a defining feature of Congress party culture. Shah challenged the entire Opposition to debate the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls inside Parliament rather than on the streets — framing the dispute as one of institutional legitimacy versus political opportunism.
What Happens Next
The row has significantly deepened the political fault line between the BJP-led ruling coalition and the INDIA bloc, with both sides escalating their public campaigns as the parliamentary session approaches. Notably, the dispute marks the third major face-off this year between the two formations over electoral processes and the independence of constitutional bodies. With Amit Shah, Himanta Biswa Sarma, and other senior BJP figures coordinating their messaging, the party appears to be framing the upcoming session as a direct test of the Opposition's willingness to engage institutionally. How the Congress responds — inside or outside Parliament — is likely to shape the political temperature in the weeks ahead.
Point of View
Not spontaneous political reaction. The party is attempting to invert the Opposition's narrative — reframing the ECI dispute as proof of Congress's unwillingness to engage in legitimate institutional processes. What mainstream coverage underplays is the stakes: the SIR of electoral rolls is a substantive constitutional question that deserves parliamentary scrutiny, and both sides' preference for the streets over the floor risks normalising the bypassing of Parliament as the primary arena for democratic accountability. The real test of both formations' democratic commitments is whether either side actually shows up for a full, structured parliamentary debate.
NationPress
5 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma criticise Congress on 5 November?
Sarma accused Congress of engaging in 'political anarchy' by avoiding parliamentary debate and instead holding street protests, which he said were designed to tarnish democracy. His remarks were posted on X and came amid a broader BJP counter-campaign against the Opposition's 'Vote Bachao, Desh Bachao' movement.
What is the 'Save Democracy, Remove Anarchy' campaign?
It is a BJP initiative launched in direct response to the INDIA bloc's street protests over the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. The campaign, branded 'Loktantra Bachao, Arajakta Hatao' in Hindi, has seen senior BJP leaders including Sarma hold public marches in multiple states.
What is the Congress-led Opposition's core allegation about electoral rolls?
The Congress and INDIA bloc parties allege that the Election Commission of India's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls could disenfranchise eligible voters, amounting to 'vote theft.' They have demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the matter.
What did Union Home Minister Amit Shah say on the same day?
Amit Shah accused Rahul Gandhi of making disruptions and boycotts a hallmark of Congress culture. He challenged the Opposition to debate the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls inside Parliament rather than on public streets.
What was the 'Vote Bachao, Desh Bachao' rally at Ramlila Maidan?
It was a large Opposition rally held on 1 November at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan, addressed by Rahul Gandhi and other INDIA bloc leaders. The protest was aimed at drawing national attention to the Opposition's concerns about voter-list revisions and the independence of the Election Commission.
