Akhil Gogoi has alleged that Rakibul Hussain assets rose sharply during the period of BJP rule in Assam, claiming a 477 per cent increase between 2016 and 2024. The Raijor Dal MLA raised the issue while targeting the Congress leadership in the state.
Gogoi cited election affidavit figures to support his claim. He said Hussain’s declared assets increased from Rs 4.38 crore in 2016 to Rs 25.29 crore in 2024. However, an increase in declared assets does not by itself establish wrongdoing or explain how the wealth was accumulated.
Rakibul Hussain assets and Gogoi’s claim
According to Gogoi, Rakibul Hussain assets increased by Rs 20.91 crore over the eight-year period. He questioned the rise while referring to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s tenure and the BJP government’s time in power.
Gogoi described the increase as significant and used it to attack the Congress leadership. His remarks come amid continued political differences between him and senior Congress leaders in Assam.
The figures cited in the allegation are based on election affidavits. Such affidavits contain candidates’ self-declared information about assets and liabilities at the time of an election.
What the affidavit figures show
The reported figures indicate that Hussain declared assets worth Rs 4.38 crore in his 2016 election affidavit. By the 2024 Lok Sabha election, the declared value had risen to Rs 25.29 crore, according to figures cited by Gogoi.
That represents an increase of roughly 477 per cent over the period. However, the figures should be read carefully because changes in declared asset values can reflect several factors, including property valuations, investments, income, acquisitions and other financial changes.
Therefore, the asset increase alone cannot establish that any law was broken. No such conclusion should be drawn without supporting evidence or findings by an authorised investigative or judicial body.
Rakibul Hussain assets become political issue
The issue has quickly become part of a wider political confrontation in Assam. Gogoi has been critical of the Congress leadership even as opposition parties have faced changing political equations in the state.
Hussain is a senior Congress leader and represented the Dhubri constituency in the Lok Sabha after winning the 2024 general election. His political prominence has made the allegation significant within Assam’s opposition politics.
Gogoi has questioned how the rise in Rakibul Hussain assets occurred and linked the timing to the years when the BJP was in power in Assam. However, the allegation should be distinguished from any verified finding about the source or legality of the assets.
No immediate response from Hussain
Hussain’s response to Gogoi’s allegation was not immediately available when the report was published. Therefore, his position on the figures and the political claims surrounding them remains unclear.
Meanwhile, the controversy adds another layer to the increasingly sharp exchanges between Gogoi and Congress leaders. Gogoi has used the asset figures to question the credibility of the Congress leadership and its political performance in Assam.
The reported figures also underline the importance of checking election affidavits when claims about politicians’ wealth are made. These documents provide a public record of candidates’ declared financial interests, but they do not automatically explain every change in wealth.
What the figures do and do not prove
The reported rise in Rakibul Hussain assets is a matter of public record insofar as it concerns the values declared in election affidavits. The 2016 and 2024 figures provide a basis for comparing the wealth disclosed by Hussain at those points.
However, the comparison does not establish that the increase was improper. It also does not, on its own, establish a connection between Hussain’s wealth and the BJP government.
For now, Gogoi’s statement remains a political allegation. Any assessment of the source, legality or accuracy of the assets would require examination of relevant financial records and, where applicable, findings by competent authorities.
The controversy is likely to remain part of Assam’s political debate as parties continue to trade allegations over governance, accountability and the conduct of their leaders. For voters, the distinction between declared wealth, political claims and proven wrongdoing remains important when assessing such disputes