Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday took a fresh swipe at Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi, saying election campaigns should focus on issues that affect people's lives rather than references to jail.

Reacting to recent remarks by Gogoi, Sarma said elections provide an opportunity for political parties to discuss development and welfare-related issues, including roads, educational institutions and government schemes.

“When elections come, one should think about votes, not jail,” Sarma said.

The Chief Minister added that political leaders should instead discuss roads, schools, colleges and welfare initiatives such as the Orunodoi scheme.

“When elections come, one should talk about roads, schools, colleges and Orunodoi,” he said.

Taking a further dig at Gogoi and Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, Sarma alleged that the two leaders frequently raised the issue of jail during election periods.

“But Gaurav Gogoi and LoP Rahul Gandhi talk about jail whenever elections come,” he said.

Sarma also sought to underline what he described as the difference between rhetoric centred on imprisonment and the concerns of ordinary voters.

“Prisoners in jail do not vote. The general public votes,” the Chief Minister said.

The remarks come amid a continuing political confrontation between Sarma and Gogoi in Assam, with both leaders frequently exchanging political allegations and counter-allegations.

The latest exchange assumes significance ahead of the October 6 Nagaon Lok Sabha bypoll, where political parties have intensified campaigning and stepped up attacks on opponents.

Gogoi has emerged as one of the prominent Congress voices in Assam, while Sarma remains one of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s principal campaigners in the state.

During the 2026 Assam Assembly election campaign, Sarma and Gogoi repeatedly clashed over issues including governance, welfare schemes and political controversies.

The latest comments reflect the broader political contest in Assam, where parties are seeking to shape the electoral debate around their respective narratives on development, governance and political accountability.

With polling for the Nagaon Lok Sabha bypoll scheduled for October 6 and counting of votes set for October 9, campaigning has entered its final phase.

The exchanges between Sarma and Gogoi are expected to remain a prominent feature of the political discourse as the campaign approaches polling day.