Poll row in Assam: Cong seeks EC action against CM for “hiding wife’s overseas holdings”

The Congress on Monday filed a formal complaint with the Election Commission of India , seeking the cancellation of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s Assembly election nomination , alleging that he failed to disclose his wife’s offshore assets and foreign passports in his election affidavit. The move comes amid a widening political controversy just days before polling for all 126 seats in the state on April 9.

Congress candidate Bidisha Neog filed the complaint to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar , alleging that Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma failed to disclose his wife Riniki Bhuyan Sarma’s foreign assets, including Dubai properties , a Wyoming company , and multiple foreign passports from the UAE, Antigua and Barbuda, and Egypt. Documents cited by Congress claim she owns three passports and at least two Dubai properties acquired in 2022 and 2024, omitted from Sarma’s affidavit. The party called this a “deliberate non‑disclosure” , seeking rejection of his nomination under Section 36 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 , action under Section 125A, and an Enforcement Directorate inquiry under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002.

Congress leaders, including Pawan Khera , have escalated the criticism, describing the matter as a “massive disclosure lapse” and urging greater transparency, while questioning the legal propriety of alleged multiple foreign passports held by an Indian citizen, a situation not permitted under Indian law.

The allegations quickly drew a strong rebuttal from Sarma. The Assam Chief Minister dismissed the claims as “false and fabricated” , asserting that the documents being circulated were sourced from a Pakistani social media group and digitally manipulated. He said both he and his wife would pursue legal action, including filing criminal and civil defamation suits against Congress leaders who made the allegations. Sarma highlighted what he described as numerous inconsistencies in the circulated documents and denied any wrongdoing, saying Indian and foreign authorities have deemed some of the alleged passports to be fake .

In parallel, Riniki Bhuyan Sarma publicly rejected the allegations as “laughable” and counter‑accused political opponents of engaging in partisan attacks. She also raised unrelated questions about the personal backgrounds of her critics, deepening the acrimonious political exchange.