Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi. (File Photo/Anil Sharma)
Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi announced Sunday that the party has decided to contest 100 of the 126 Assembly seats in the upcoming election in the state. The Congress’s allies will contest the remaining seats, he said.
The announcement was made after an event in Tezpur to mark the 141st Foundation Day of the Indian National Congress. Speaking at the event, he also announced that if the Congress comes to power in the state, a separate law would be introduced to “take strict action against those spreading religious hatred”.
“We have resolved that with the other Opposition parties, we will all go forward unitedly in the coming Legislative Assembly election. Our decision is that the Congress will contest in 100 seats with its own candidates and that the other seats will be divided among the other Opposition parties through discussion and consultation,” he said. He also reiterated that the party has ruled out an alliance with the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF).
“Under the leadership of the Congress, the dignity that has been taken away from the people of Assam will be restored. The Congress believes in peace and unity, while the BJP thrives on unrest and division. The Congress has faith in the Constitution, whereas the BJP seeks to destroy democracy and establish a form of authoritarian rule… Whether it is a church, namghar, temple or mosque, anyone who attempts to desecrate a place of worship will face strict punitive action. In the Assam of Sankardeva-Madhavdeva and Ajan Pir, divisive forces will never be tolerated,” he said.
Gogoi’s announcement about the Congress’s decision on its share of seats comes in the backdrop of the party’s unstable relationship with other anti-BJP parties in the state. Attempts to stitch together such an alliance had begun in 2023, when Bhupen Borah was the Assam Congress chief and presented a united front in last year’s Lok Sabha elections. However, this collapsed over seat sharing ahead of last year’s Assembly bypolls in November. An attempt to revive this alliance earlier this year again collapsed ahead of this year’s panchayat polls. Starting last month, there has again been an attempt to stitch it together with parties such as Asom Jatiya Parishad, Raijor Dol, CPI(M), and CPI(ML), among others.
Assembly elections are set to be held in Assam in 2026.