New Delhi [India], March 26 (ANI): Congress leader Pramod Tiwari on Thursday took a dig at Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma over his 'Congress can't form its government in India, but Pakistan' remarks, and said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) should form a government in Israel since it is their 'fatherland'.

'You are a Chief Minister. As a Chief Minister, you must be somewhat educated. You must have some knowledge. In a democracy, the government will obviously be formed within the borders of India. If you insist on Congress forming a government in Pakistan, your government should form in Israel, as it is your fatherland. Your Prime Minister has said so,' Tiwari told ANI.

'Please remember that you will be answered in your own language. Don't forget your fatherland,' he added.

His remarks come after the Assam CM said that no local people would vote for Congress and suggested the opposition party could form a government only in Pakistan or Bangladesh and not India.

Sarma on Wednesday said that the state has witnessed a complete turnaround under the BJP, asserting that no local 'indigenous Indian' will vote for Congress in the single-phase assembly polls scheduled to be held on April 9.

'We have completely turned around Assam. Today, people are seeing a new Assam, based on our strong culture and heritage. People, except Bangladeshi infiltrators, are with the BJP. No local indigenous Indian people will vote for Congress,' the Assam CM told reporters in Guwahati.

'Who wants to go to Congress? Congress can't form its government in India; it can form it in Pakistan. Then how can I go to Congress? Congress can never form the government in India. When Congress forms, it will be in either Pakistan or Bangladesh,' he added.

Assam will witness a fight between the incumbent BJP-led NDA government and Congress for the 126-seat assembly.

The BJP government, led by Sarma, will look to secure a third consecutive term, while the Congress aims to defeat the ruling party to return to power.

The Assam Chief Minister is set to contest from his traditional Jalukbari seat.

The polling for all 126 Assembly constituencies will be held in a single phase on April 9, while the counting of votes is scheduled for May 4, the Election Commission of India announced.

In the 2021 Assembly elections, the NDA, comprising the BJP, AGP and United People's Party Liberal (UPPL), won 75 seats, with the BJP alone winning 60 seats. The Congress and AIUDF had formed a grand alliance along with the BPF and the communist parties, but the alliance performed poorly with just 16 seats out of 126.

Voter turnout was as high as 86.2 per cent with over 2. 2 crore registered voters in 2021. (ANI)