While exit polls have predicted a sweep by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Assam Assembly elections, not everything is calm and happy in the north-eastern state’s ruling camp.
Behind the confidence displayed in public, the BJP and its ally Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) are grappling with bitter infighting, charges of betrayal, rebel campaigns and growing anger over the selection of candidates for the April 9 polls.
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Across several constituencies, the loudest battle is no longer only against the Opposition, but within the ruling alliance itself.
Discomfort in Assam BJP after minister says ‘gaddar’
The simmering unrest spilt into full public view after senior BJP leader and Cabinet Minister Ranjeet Kumar Dass, contesting from Bhowanipur-Sarbhog constituency, openly accused members of his own party of working against him.
“In this election, I am not fighting only CPI(M), I am also fighting gaddars (traitors) within my own fold. I will expose them before May 4 and place everything before the proper platform,” he wrote in a Facebook post, triggering intense political chatter. Dass’s main contender in the seat was from the Communist Party of India (Marxist).
The leader’s frustration has struck a chord with many long-time BJP workers who feel the party’s ground structure is no longer as united as it once was.
The controversy became serious enough for Assam BJP president Dilip Saikia to step in with a public warning, urging party leaders and workers to stop using words like “gaddar” on social media.
“It has been noticed that some party members are using language that goes against the BJP’s values and culture. Social media cannot become a space for public resentment. Such terminology has no place in our ideological framework,” Saikia said.
Yet beneath the official caution, dissatisfaction remains widespread. In many seats, leaders privately admit that sections of workers may have campaigned outwardly while quietly refusing to transfer votes where factional bitterness ran deep.
‘Betrayal of alliance dharma’
The alliance’s internal fault lines are particularly visible in AGP-held constituencies. In Bongaigaon, senior AGP leader and MP Phani Bhushan Choudhury openly accused BJP workers of undercutting his party’s candidate Diptimayee Choudhury by supporting Independent Chakradhar Das.
Also read: Exit polls predict comfortable win for NDA in Assam
“It is deeply unfortunate that while we are bound by alliance, some within our own partner behaved like sleeper cells. This is a betrayal of alliance dharma,” Choudhury, who served nine terms from Bangaigaon as an MLA, said.
For AGP leaders, this has revived an old grievance — that the outfit often transfers votes more faithfully to the BJP than it receives in return.
In Kamalpur and Rangiya, matters turned even uglier after a leaked audio clip allegedly featuring BJP MLA Diganta Kalita surfaced, in which he accused party figures of betrayal and reportedly threatened those he believed had backstabbed him.
From Hajo and Dispur to Titabar and Goalpara East, similar stories of resentment, rebellion and sabotage have surfaced.
In Dispur, senior BJP figure Jayanta Kumar Das entered the fray as an Independent after revolting against the party’s official choice, potentially damaging the saffron party’s prospects and helping the Opposition Congress.
In Hajo, local BJP workers were reportedly upset after the NDA fielded an AGP candidate instead of one from the BJP, leading to visible discontent on the ground.
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In Titabar, a BJP woman leader openly appealed for support to an Independent candidate over the party nominee.
In Goalpara East, AGP candidate Abdul Rahim Zibran publicly accused several BJP functionaries of backstabbing him during the campaign.
Struggle within Assam BJP too
At the centre of this turbulence is a deeper struggle inside the Assam BJP — the widening gap between the party’s old Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)-backed cadre and the newer crop of leaders, many of whom joined from the Congress and other parties.
For many old guards, the anger is personal. They believe they built the organisation over decades, only to now watch newcomers wield greater influence.
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Political analyst Prasenjit Biswas said the scale of open resentment marks a significant moment in Assam politics.
“When senior BJP leaders themselves are speaking more about internal sabotage than Opposition attacks, it clearly shows the organisational strain. This election has exposed cracks that Assam BJP had largely managed to keep hidden till now,” he added.
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