Assam political dispute erupts over flood relief and inflation

Political tensions have escalated in Assam following criticisms from Bhupesh Baghel, the Congress General Secretary in-charge of Assam and former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister. Baghel urged Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to prioritize flood relief efforts and address the rising costs of essential commodities, such as petrol, diesel, cooking gas, and sugar, rather than commenting on the 2028 Chhattisgarh Assembly elections.

Baghel also noted that despite a ‘double-engine government’, relief is not adequately reaching flood-affected citizens. Additionally, the Congress party is currently coordinating strategy and candidate shortlisting for the upcoming Nagaon Lok Sabha by-election.

The Assam Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) responded by calling Baghel’s remarks ‘laughable’. BJP spokesperson Brojen Mahanta questioned Baghel’s authority to critique governance, citing the Congress party’s loss in the 2023 Chhattisgarh Assembly elections. The BJP further countered by raising allegations of corruption and irregularities during the previous Congress administration in Chhattisgarh.