Congress Meetings are a Sham": Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma Alleges 'Crores' exchanged for Tickets by 'Inclusive Mind' Team

Guwahati: In a scathing attack on the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC), Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has termed the opposition party's ongoing candidate selection meetings as a "sham." Speaking to the media, the Chief Minister alleged that a secret, finalized list of candidates has already been prepared by external strategists in exchange for massive financial transactions.

The "Real" List vs. The "Fake" Meetings Dismissing the recent screening meetings held by the Congress leadership, CM Sarma claimed that while the party is pretending to discuss panels of 7-8 aspirants per constituency, the actual decisions have already been made elsewhere.

"The list prepared in the meetings yesterday had 7-8 names per seat. But the actual list has been made by 'Inclusive Mind'," Sarma said, referring to the poll strategy team employed by the Congress.

Targeting Key Strategists The Chief Minister specifically named Congress strategists Sunil Kanugolu and Saksham Marwah, alleging that they are the ones calling the shots.

"The 'Inclusive Mind' team, led by Saksham Marwah and Sunil Kanugolu, has finalized the real list which contains only single names or at most two. The meetings being held now are just to mislead the party workers," Sarma stated.

Allegations of "Cash for Tickets" In his most explosive charge, the Chief Minister alleged that "crores and crores of rupees" have been exchanged in the name of ticket distribution, particularly in minority-dominated constituencies. He claimed that this "collection" is being driven by the external strategy team rather than the local party leadership.

He further took a dig at the strategists' credentials, mocking the idea that degrees from "Harvard" (referring to the consultants) were being valued over local political experience.

Predicting Chaos in Congress Sarma warned that the Congress party would face severe infighting once the official tickets are announced.

"The day the tickets are distributed, you will see the level of chaos. They have given false hope to 8-9 people in every constituency, while the ticket has effectively been sold to one," he predicted.

The CM also grouped top state Congress leaders—including Bhupen Borah, Rakibul Hussain, and Gaurav Gogoi—alongside the strategists, accusing this specific circle of managing the "real" selection process behind closed doors.