Frank Krishner looks at the Assam Assembly Elections in this series.
The fierce personal attacks on 27-year-old Kunki Chowdhury, the Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) candidate from the newly carved Guwahati Central constituency, reveal how nervous the BJP is about losing the seat. AJP has aligned with the Indian national Congress.
Local buzz suggests that on April 9, BJP veteran Vijay Gupta faces a far tougher contest than expected from this young challenger.
Kunki Chowdhury represents a striking generational shift. London-educated with a master’s in educational leadership from University College London, she is young, articulate, and driven by a desire for genuine change rather than political careerism. Her campaign zeroes in on hyper-local issues plaguing Fancy Bazar, Pan Bazar, and GS Road — chronic artificial flooding, poor drainage, garbage mismanagement, water scarcity, chaotic parking, traffic congestion, and youth unemployment.
She has stuck to disciplined door-to-door campaigning, avoiding big rallies, and has drawn support from the All India Gorkha League along with strong sympathy from Gen Z voters. Economist Parakala Prabhakar, husband of Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, has publicly backed her, lending significant intellectual heft.
In contrast, BJP’s Vijay Kumar Gupta is a seasoned insider with decades of organisational experience, including stints as state general secretary and vice president.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma recently targeted social media posts allegedly linked to Chowdhury’s mother, Sujata Gurung Chowdhury, accusing her of sharing images of beef consumption, criticising Sanatan Dharma, and expressing sympathetic views towards controversial figures like Sharjeel Imam and Umar Khalid. The fact that a sitting CM has felt compelled to respond so aggressively so early signals that Chowdhury’s campaign is unexpectedly gaining ground.
The AJP and Chowdhury have dismissed the allegations as baseless and politically motivated character assassination aimed at diverting attention from real civic issues. Chowdhury says the attacks have only boosted her visibility, turning smears into free publicity.
The campaign then escalated with the circulation of AI-generated deepfake videos distorting her image and words. On April 4, 2026, Chowdhury alleged that manipulated clips — some doctored from her own legitimate Instagram messages — were being spread, reportedly by BJP IT cell-linked accounts. She immediately filed a complaint and FIR at Panbazar Cyber Police Station under the IT Act, defamation laws, and election rules, calling it a “malicious” bid to undermine her rising support.
The episode has raised broader concerns about the misuse of artificial intelligence in Indian elections, particularly against a young woman candidate.
Why the fear? If Kunki Chowdhury were irrelevant, the BJP could simply ignore her and focus on its governance record and Gupta’s experience. Instead, the Chief Minister has repeatedly named her and her family, followed by alleged digital smear tactics.
In Guwahati, many now see her as a credible alternative in Guwahati Central.