Guwahati: With less than three weeks to go for the Assam Assembly elections, Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Gaurav Gogoi on Saturday sought to recast the political narrative, describing the contest as an internal ideological divide within the Congress rather than a conventional fight between the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Campaigning in Majuli in support of party candidate Indranil Pegu, Gogoi said the BJP in Assam is largely composed of former Congress leaders and represents a continuation of a section of the party that had earlier distanced itself from its foundational principles. He contrasted this with what he described as a renewed Congress aligned with the legacy and governance approach of former Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi.
Gogoi argued that past governance issues under the Congress had contributed to a drift in public support, enabling the BJP’s rise in the state. However, he maintained that the current Congress leadership reflects a restructured organisation with new faces and a renewed political direction.
He also pointed to the steady flow of former Congress leaders into the BJP, suggesting that such realignments have not weakened the party but instead contributed to consolidating its core support base. According to him, similar patterns were observed during the Lok Sabha elections, where defections were followed by a rise in public acceptance of the Congress.
Launching a broader critique of the BJP government under Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Gogoi alleged that the ruling party has relied on tactics such as fear, misinformation and political pressure, which he said indicated an inability to secure public trust through governance.
The APCC chief said the Congress campaign is centred on youth outreach and expressed confidence in the party’s prospects in Majuli, where Pegu is in the fray. He also described the denial of a ticket to Titabor MLA Bhaskar Baruah as a strategic decision taken in the larger organisational interest.
Gogoi asserted that the party expects electoral momentum to build in upper Assam and North Assam, regions seen as crucial to its performance in the upcoming polls.
Polling for the 126-member Assam Assembly is scheduled for April 9, with counting to take place on May 4.