Guwahati: A sudden visit by senior opposition leaders to Ranchi on Thursday has set off intense political speculation in Assam, with questions emerging over whether the Congress could bring the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) into a united opposition front ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.
Jitendra Singh, general secretary of the Congress, along with Gaurav Gogoi, president of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) travelled to Ranchi to meet Jharkhand Chief Minister and JMM chief Hemant Soren.
On the same day, a separate delegation of the Asom Jatiya Parishad (AJP) led by its president Lurinjyoti Gogoi also held discussions with Soren at his official residence.
The development has drawn attention particularly because it comes soon after the Congress distanced itself from Akhil Gogoi’s Raijor Dal, a move that left a gap in the opposition space in Assam.
Sources said the Congress leadership postponed a crucial meeting of the APCC election committee scheduled in Guwahati on Thursday due to the Ranchi visit.
While leaders remained tight-lipped about the outcome of the meeting, party insiders indicated that Congress leaders urged Soren to consider joining a united opposition alliance in Assam and to campaign for the coalition during the elections.
“An understanding with the JMM is very much possible,” a senior Congress leader said on condition of anonymity. “We have an alliance with them in Jharkhand. Though there were differences in Bihar, we would welcome them in a broader alliance against the BJP in Assam.”
The AJP delegation discussed issues affecting tribal and indigenous communities across Assam and Jharkhand.
According to sources familiar with the discussions, the talks focused on protection of tribal rights, land issues and cultural identity.
The AJP leaders also appreciated Soren’s advocacy for Adivasi rights through the JMM’s slogan “Abua Dishum, Abua Raj” — meaning “Our Land, Our Rule.”
The Ranchi meeting comes close on the heels of Soren’s recent political outreach in Assam.
On March 10, he addressed a large rally at the Mijikajan Tea Estate in Biswanath district, organised jointly by the JMM and the Jai Bharat Party (JBP).
At the rally, JBP president Teharu Gour announced that his party would contest around 40 seats in alliance with the JMM in the upcoming elections.Soren used the platform to raise issues concerning tea garden workers and Adivasi communities, calling for stronger tribal rights, land reforms and greater political representation.
Political observers believe the JMM is attempting to build support among tea tribe and Adivasi communities, which together form nearly 20 per cent of Assam’s population.
These communities hold considerable electoral influence in about 35 to 40 Assembly constituencies, particularly in Upper Assam districts such as Jorhat, Dibrugarh, Tinsukia and Sonitpur.
In these tea belt regions, the voting pattern of tea garden workers and Adivasi communities often determines the outcome of closely contested seats.
The possibility of the JMM entering Assam’s political arena has already sparked discussion among political analysts. While the JMM has announced cooperation with the Jai Bharat Party, its long-term equation with the Congress remains unclear, especially since some Congress leaders believe the JBP has previously worked against their party’s interests.
Still, the Ranchi meetings indicate that opposition parties are exploring fresh alignments as the 2026 elections approach.
If the JMM formally joins the opposition bloc, it could introduce a new dynamic in Assam’s electoral politics — particularly in the tribal and tea garden belts where identity and livelihood issues remain deeply intertwined with political choices.