Ahead of the 2026 Assam polls, BJP and Congress clash over cultural identity, pitching ‘Sankar-Madhav’ against Congress’s ‘Sankar-Azan’ narrative.
Political leaders spar over Assam’s cultural identity as the Sankar-Azan versus Sankar-Madhav debate heats up before elections (Photo: X)
ASSAM: With the 2026 Assam Assembly elections approaching, a sharp political fight has broken out over how the state’s cultural identity should be defined. The debate has placed the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and the opposition Indian National Congress on opposite sides.
The controversy centres on two expressions; 'Sankar-Azan' and 'Sankar-Madhav'. Congress leaders describe Assam as the land of 'Sankar-Azan' pointing to harmony between Vaishnavite saint Srimanta Sankardev and Sufi saint Ajan Fakir. The BJP, however, insists Assam’s identity is rooted in 'Sankar-Madhav' highlighting Sankardev and his disciple Madhavdev and the Vaishnavite tradition.
The issue came into the spotlight on December 27, 2025, when Congress MP and Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Gaurav Gogoi called Assam the land of 'Sankar-Azan' in a post on X. He said Assam’s culture belongs to all communities and accused Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma of ignoring people’s issues and focusing on syndicates and corruption.
Chief Minister Sarma rejected the term, saying Assam “was, is and will remain the land of Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardev and Mahapurush Madhavdev”. He said that Sankardev and Ajan Fakir lived in different centuries and never met, calling the 'Sankar-Azan' phrase misleading.
Congress hit back on December 30, 2025, releasing a video in which Gogoi said Assam would always stand for harmony. Senior Congress leader Ripun Bora accused Sarma of changing his stand for electoral benefit, pointing to earlier remarks made in 2021.
On January 4, 2026, BJP state spokesperson Jayanta Kumar Goswami accused Gogoi of weakening Assam’s Vaishnavite roots for political gain. He also alleged that Congress was trying to attract minority votes while sidelining All India United Democratic Front.
The political temperature rose further with the launch of Congress’s “Natun Bor Asom Abhiyan” in Guwahati on January 20, 2026. Former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel joined the campaign targeting the BJP over alleged corruption and unfulfilled promises.
The debate also triggered protests and political embarrassment after controversial remarks by Rejaul Karim Sarkar, a former All Assam Minorities Students’ Union leader who briefly joined the Congress on January 11, 2026, forcing him to resign amid public backlash.
With the cultural debate now turning into a major political issue, all eyes are on the Assam Assembly elections in 2026. The outcome of the polls will show whether voters support the BJP’s focus on Vaishnavite identity or accept the Congress narrative of cultural harmony. As campaigning intensifies across the state, the election is expected to clearly decide which vision of Assam’s identity and future gets the people’s mandate.
