Assam Pradesh Congress Committee president and Lok Sabha MP Gaurav Gogoi has acknowledged that alliance negotiations ahead of the upcoming Assam Assembly elections remain a work in progress, with seat-sharing discussions with Raijor Dal yet to be finalised.
Addressing reporters, Gogoi said that dialogue with Raijor Dal and other opposition parties is ongoing and that a detailed status report is being submitted to the Congress central leadership. He confirmed that the state unit has also sought guidance from the party high command to resolve specific hurdles that have surfaced during the negotiations.
Without naming specific constituencies, Gogoi referred to public objections raised by Raijor Dal chief Akhil Gogoi regarding certain seats under discussion. He remarked that while Akhil Gogoi often shares details with the media, it is not the Congress party’s culture to disclose every aspect of negotiations publicly. “We speak only after due consultation and discussion with party leaders,” he said, underlining what he described as the party’s disciplined approach to alliance-building.
Gogoi revealed that while the Congress has finalised a seat-sharing arrangement with one party, talks with another key regional player remain inconclusive. Though he expressed hope that an alliance would eventually materialise, he admitted that internal complications have made the process increasingly difficult.
One major point of friction, he indicated, is the reported induction of former Congress leaders — previously expelled for disciplinary reasons — into Raijor Dal. Many Congress members, he said, are questioning how a smooth seat-sharing arrangement can proceed if tickets are allotted to individuals once removed from the party. “I leave it to the public. They are watching. They will decide what is right or wrong,” Gogoi stated, hinting at the political implications of such decisions.
In a candid moment, Gogoi admitted that although he had earlier been “very optimistic” about forging a broader opposition alliance, the complexities of negotiations have left him feeling constrained. “Still, I will try my level best to make my party colleagues, senior leaders and the central leadership understand the importance of taking everyone together for the upcoming Assembly polls. But truly speaking, I feel a bit helpless now,” he said.
Meanwhile, tensions escalated at Rajiv Bhawan on February 25 as Congress workers from the Dalgaon constituency staged a large protest over reports that the party may concede the Dalgaon seat to Raijor Dal. Demonstrators raised slogans against the proposed move, describing it as a “demoralising compromise.”
Protesters argued that Dalgaon has long been considered a Congress stronghold and warned that conceding the seat would demotivate loyal grassroots workers. They cautioned that if the ticket is not given to a Congress candidate, local party members may consider resigning en masse.
In a further show of dissent, more than a hundred Congress workers gathered outside Gaurav Gogoi’s residence at Ajanta Path in Guwahati, reiterating their opposition to any move to transfer the Dalgaon Assembly constituency to Raijor Dal. The agitating workers claimed that discussions over seat-sharing were conducted without consulting local leaders and grassroots members, calling the process undemocratic.
While the party leadership has yet to issue an official clarification, the intensity of the protests reflects growing unease within sections of the Congress rank and file, underscoring the delicate balancing act the leadership faces in managing alliances without alienating core supporters.