The campaign for the October 6 Nagaon Lok Sabha bypoll in Assam has entered its final stage, with political opponents trading personal remarks over biryani, pulao, chicken and even dry fish.
The exchange began after Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma targeted Congress MP Rakibul Hussain during an election rally, referring to him as “Bakasura”, the mythological figure known for his appetite. Sarma also accused Hussain of consuming meat and pulao several times a day and alleged that he was “digesting” money meant for government schemes.
Hussain responded with a series of sarcastic remarks about biryani.
“God has sent me into this world to eat biryani,” Hussain said, according to reports. He also said that God had made him wealthy so that he could eat biryani.
Sarma Responds With Biryani Remark
The verbal exchange escalated when Sarma responded to Hussain during a rally in the Nagaon constituency.
“Those who are born to drink their mother’s milk are human beings, and those born to eat biryani are animals,” Sarma said.
Hussain had also joked about his childhood, saying that while children normally drink their mother’s milk after birth, he was supposedly born eating chicken biryani.
He further mocked Sarma by referring to “kata biscuit” or rusk, suggesting that those who ate such food would not understand the difference between pulao and biryani.
The remarks have become a prominent part of the final days of campaigning for the bypoll.
Badruddin Ajmal Joins the Exchange
AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal also entered the exchange, targeting Hussain during the campaign.
Ajmal reportedly said that Hussain was born eating dry fish rather than biryani. He also questioned Hussain’s reference to being born into wealth, saying, “He was a poor man. Where would he get biryani from?”
Ajmal is himself contesting the Nagaon bypoll. The AIUDF chief is seeking a return to Parliament after losing his Dhubri Lok Sabha seat to Hussain by a large margin in the 2024 election.
The three-way exchange has added a personal and food-related dimension to the campaign, with the candidates and their supporters also campaigning on issues concerning the constituency.
Three-Way Contest in Nagaon
The Nagaon Lok Sabha seat fell vacant after Congress MP Pradyut Bordoloi resigned from the Lok Sabha and later joined the BJP ahead of the Assam Assembly elections. The Election Commission has scheduled polling for October 6, with counting on October 9.
The BJP has fielded former Nagaon Deputy Commissioner Debashis Sarma, while Congress has nominated former Batadrava MLA Sibamoni Bora. AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal is also contesting, making it a three-cornered contest.
The campaign has also seen disputes between the BJP and Congress over alleged attacks on campaign convoys and questions surrounding the political role of former Nagaon officials. Both sides have traded allegations, which have been rejected or disputed by their opponents.
With polling scheduled for October 6, the final days of the Nagaon campaign have been marked by a sharp exchange between Sarma, Hussain and Ajmal, with biryani, pulao and other food references becoming part of the political rhetoric.
