CM Himanta targets Congress with 'regime change' jab
Synopsis
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma posted a video on X on 24 October 2026, mockingly labelling Congress activity as 'regime change operations' — a sharp partisan broadside that fits a widening BJP-Congress battle ahead of the 2026 Assam assembly elections.
Key Takeaways
Himanta Biswa Sarma posted a video on X on 24 October 2026 targeting the Indian National Congress .
He described the footage as showing Congress and its followers 'en route for regime change operations' — borrowing geopolitical language for domestic political ridicule.
The post is consistent with a broader BJP pattern in the Northeast of framing Congress activity as destabilising.
Sarma serves as both Chief Minister of Assam and convenor of the North-East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) , amplifying the reach of his political messaging.
The 2026 Assam assembly elections provide the electoral context sharpening this exchange.
Congress had not issued a public response to the specific post at the time of writing.
A sharp political barb from Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma landed on Saturday, 24 October 2026, as the BJP leader took to X to mock the Indian National Congress with a video he labelled 'exclusive footage' of the party pursuing what he called 'regime change operations.'
Sarma posted: 'Exclusive Footage: Cong Party and its followers en route for regime change operations.' The post carried a video, though the content of the footage has not been independently verified. The framing — dry, sardonic, echoing the language of geopolitical intrigue — is a deliberate rhetorical device, casting Congress's political activity as something clandestine rather than democratic.
The 'regime change' taunt and what it signals
The choice of words is pointed. 'Regime change' is a term ordinarily associated with foreign interference in sovereign governments — deploying it against a domestic opposition party is a well-worn BJP playbook move designed to delegitimise Congress's electoral ambitions. For Sarma, who has been one of the ruling alliance's most combative communicators in the Northeast, the post is consistent with a pattern of framing Congress's grassroots presence in Assam as something threatening rather than routine politics. BJP-led governments in the Northeast have long painted Congress activities as destabilising. Sarma, as convenor of the North-East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), occupies a role that extends his political reach well beyond Assam — making his signals on X as much a message to NEDA partners as to Assam voters.Backdrop: Assam's charged political climate
Political temperature in Assam runs reliably hot in election cycles. The state has been a battleground between the BJP — which swept to power in 2016 and retained it in 2021 — and Congress, which once dominated Assam for decades. The 2026 assembly elections loom as the next major test, and both sides have ramped up public sparring well in advance. Congress has not yet responded publicly to this specific post. Whether the party engages or lets the jibe pass will itself be a tactical choice watched closely by political observers in Guwahati and New Delhi. Sarma's social-media operation is among the most active of any state chief minister — quick, irreverent, and often designed to go viral before opponents can frame a counter-narrative. This post is another page from that same script. The question heading into 2026 is whether the voters still find the script compelling.Point of View
A framing the party must actively fight. For a NEDA convenor, the message is also partly directed at alliance partners across the Northeast, reinforcing the coalition's shared anti-Congress identity. As Assam's 2026 polls approach, expect this kind of high-frequency digital skirmishing to define the pre-campaign period.
NationPress
24 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Himanta Biswa Sarma post about Congress on X?
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma posted a video on X on 24 October 2026, captioning it 'Exclusive Footage: Cong Party and its followers en route for regime change operations' — a satirical attack on Congress ahead of the 2026 Assam elections.
What does 'regime change operations' mean in Sarma's post?
Sarma used the term 'regime change operations' sarcastically to portray Congress's political activity as a covert or destabilising effort, borrowing language normally used for foreign interference in governments.
Why is BJP targeting Congress in Assam in 2026?
Assam is heading toward assembly elections in 2026. BJP, which has held power since 2016, and Congress, which dominated the state for decades before that, are locked in an intensifying political rivalry, making such public exchanges increasingly frequent.
What is NEDA and what is Himanta Biswa Sarma's role in it?
NEDA, the North-East Democratic Alliance, is a BJP-led political grouping of parties in India's northeastern states. Himanta Biswa Sarma is its convenor, giving him a political role that extends well beyond Assam.
Has Congress responded to Himanta Biswa Sarma's 'regime change' post?
As of the time of this report, Congress had not issued a public response to Sarma's specific post on X.
