Jorhat: Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi mentioned his celebration ought to have entered into an alliance with regional allies Raijoor Dal and Assam Jatiya Parishad “earlier”, however claimed that the alliance, although delayed, had emboldened the opposition forward of the April 9 meeting polls.
“Ideally, we’d have wished to wrap it up sooner, however we’re nonetheless very pleased with the talks. By no means earlier than in Assam’s historical past has the state Congress aligned itself with so many political events,” Gaurav informed ThePrint in a wide-ranging interview on Monday.
Gaurav, who’s the Congress’ de facto chief ministerial candidate, mentioned if the opposition involves energy within the state, a call shall be taken within the first cupboard assembly in the direction of giving the “actual solutions” behind the singer’s loss of life. Zubeen Garg.
“The complete authorized fraternity in Guwahati is dissatisfied with the probe. They’re asking a whole lot of questions and we actually have to present justice to each the household and supporters,” Gaurav mentioned after a rally in Jorhat city in Higher Assam, hours after submitting his nomination. The Congress is attempting to dwell as much as the expectations of its alliance companions Raijor Dal and AJP.
“Everybody remembers what Zubeen mentioned concerning the BJP. There are some very unparliamentary phrases that I can’t even repeat on this interview. These are the phrases he used in opposition to the BJP. So folks keep in mind it and perceive how completely different Zubeen’s values are from Himanta Biswa Sarma’s values,” Gaurav mentioned.
Garg died on September 19, 2025, whereas touring to Singapore for an occasion, with preliminary reviews saying he drowned throughout an outing at sea. His loss of life aroused widespread suspicion in Assam and led to a probe by the Particular Investigation Group (SIT). A criticism was filed and several other folks, together with these concerned within the incident, have been arrested. The case is presently being heard in court docket, and a speedy trial has been ordered to make sure day-to-day proceedings amid continued intense public scrutiny.
In an interview with ThePrint, Gaurav mentioned he had been pushing for an alliance with Akhil Gogoi’s Raijor Dal and Lurinjyoti Gogoi’s AJP in the course of the 2021 state polls, when the opposition gained 50 out of 126 seats, 14 seats in need of the midway mark.
Each Raijor Dal and AJP, which emerged within the aftermath of the 2020 anti-CAA protests, have garnered assist from the Assamese neighborhood within the coronary heart of Ahom.
They didn’t be a part of the Congress-led coalition in 2021. As a substitute, it included the All India United Democratic Entrance (AIUDF), led by fragrance baron Badruddin Ajmal. This time, the Congress has refused to simply accept the AIUDF into the opposition alliance, calling it the “B staff” of the BJP.
“The Congress misplaced 17-18 seats and the Raijor Dal and AJP candidates acquired round 7,000-9,000 votes every. Again in 2021, I had seen the potential of our alliance, and 5 years later, I’m blissful that we’ve been capable of convey collectively what we had envisioned then,” Gaurav mentioned.
The Congress chief, who gained from Jorhat Lok Sabha constituency within the 2024 common elections, mentioned that his household ties have been strengthened after Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma attacked him, his spouse and kids over his alleged hyperlinks with Pakistan.
“So this has made us far more conscious of one another’s roles and values. And it has uncovered Himanta Biswa Sarma’s weaknesses. His perceived menace from the Congress celebration, or his personal hidden insecurities, have grow to be all too apparent,” he mentioned.
Gaurav questioned the motive behind former Assam Congress chief Bhupen Boller and Nagaon sitting MP Pradyut Bordoloi’s resignation from the celebration and swap to the Bharatiya Janata Celebration, saying their departure had really made the Congress “stronger”.
“AGP (ally of the Bharatiya Janata Celebration) folks joined us in Lakhimpur district, the place Bhupen Boller is from. There, a spark was lit among the many Congress employees. Whenever you go to the bottom, you see the Congress celebration changing into a lot stronger. I feel the Congress celebration has taken on a a lot newer, brisker, stronger, vibrant and progressive look than earlier than,” he claimed.
Replying to a query on the Bharatiya Janata Celebration’s emphasis on anti-infiltration because the centerpiece of its marketing campaign in Assam, Gaurav alleged that the Congress-led UPA is taking a harder stance on unlawful immigration and deporting extra unlawful immigrants to Bangladesh.
“The BJP talks lots, nevertheless it has finished even lower than what the Congress has finished.The Congress could say lower than the BJP on this concern, nevertheless it has deported much more Bangladeshis who entered India illegally than PM Modi.In terms of border fencing, it has finished even lower than what the federal government has finished. We’ve got finished far more. We’ve got finished extra to make the NRC a strong system, however even at the moment the NRC stays inaccurate. So our goal is to handle the issues by means of actual motion, as you mentioned, ‘do the work,'” he mentioned.
(Edited by Amrutanshu Arora)
Additionally learn: ‘3G’ vs. BJP: What the three Gogois seat-sharing deal means for Oppn and CM Himanta in Assam
