The Assam Congress has signalled a renewed push for mass mobilisation as its state president Gaurav Gogoi accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party of running the state through fear and pressure rather than public support. Speaking at a Mandal Convention held at Abhayapuri in Bongaigaon district, Gogoi said the Congress was rebuilding itself from the ground up as people across Assam began to turn away from what he called an atmosphere of intimidation and control.
Addressing a packed gathering of party workers and supporters, Gogoi alleged that Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma was clinging to power by misusing state institutions, particularly the police and the Home Department. He claimed that the BJP leadership no longer trusted the people and had instead chosen fear as its main political tool.
“The BJP is not confident anymore. That is why it depends on fear, threats and pressure. The Congress believes in people, not in intimidation,” Gogoi said, adding that public participation at Congress programmes was steadily increasing without force or inducement.
The convention was attended by several senior party leaders, including AICC observer Bandhu Tirkey, AICC secretary Prithviraj Sathe, Member of Parliament Rakibul Hussain, Leader of Opposition Debabrata Saikia, and former MP Abdul Khaleque. Several Congress MLAs and district-level leaders were also present.
Gogoi said the strong turnout at Congress meetings across Upper, Central and Lower Assam showed growing dissatisfaction with the BJP government. He claimed that people were attending Congress programmes voluntarily, which he described as a clear sign of political change. According to him, the Congress was once again becoming a platform where people felt their concerns could be heard.
Referring to the recent Lok Sabha elections, Gogoi pointed to the BJP’s defeat in Jorhat as an important moment. He said that despite a high-profile campaign involving repeated visits by senior leaders and extensive use of money and power, the ruling party failed to secure the seat. “That result showed that people cannot be influenced forever. The same message will be repeated elsewhere,” he said.
The APCC president also accused the BJP government of hiding its governance failures behind communal language. He alleged that illegal activities such as cow smuggling, coal trade and betel-nut syndicates had expanded during the present regime. While avoiding direct names, he questioned the ruling party’s claims of clean governance and moral authority.
Gogoi further alleged that power and wealth were being concentrated in the hands of a few, weakening democratic institutions and public trust. He criticised government policies on education, employment and evictions, saying ordinary people were suffering while basic services continued to decline. “When schools are closed and liquor shops open, it shows the priorities of the government,” he said.