Opposition alliance of eight parties to fight Assam polls together: Gaurav Gogoi

Eight opposition parties in Assam have agreed to contest next year's assembly elections as a united front against the BJP-led coalition, Congress state president Gaurav Gogoi announced on November 12.

After nearly two hours of discussions at the Congress Legislature Party office in Dispur, Assam Congress chief Gaurav Gogoi and AICC General Secretary Jitendra Singh announced that all participating parties had agreed to form a common platform to fight the BJP. The alliance, formed ahead of polls expected in March or April 2026, brings together the Congress, CPI(M), Raijor Dal, Assam Jatiya Parishad, CPI, CPI(ML), Jatiya Dal-Asom and the All Party Hill Leaders Conference, a Karbi Anglong-based outfit.

Gogoi said the parties had reached “a broad consensus” on working together to “liberate the people of Assam from corruption, injustice, and administrative failure.” Singh described the alliance as a step toward creating a “people’s government” rooted in accountability and inclusion.

Key leaders at the meeting included Akhil Gogoi of Raijor Dal, AJP’s Lurinjyoti Gogoi, MP Ajit Kumar Bhuyan, and CPM MLA Manoranjan Talukdar. Leader of the Opposition Debabrata Saikia and senior Congress MP Rakibul Hussain were also present. The parties resolved to hold further discussions to finalise the structure of the alliance and its seat-sharing strategy.

Earlier in the day, the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) Political Affairs Committee met at Rajiv Bhawan under Gogoi’s chairmanship and adopted several resolutions. Among them was the launch of a new statewide outreach initiative titled “Raijor Padulit, Raijor Congress” (Congress at People’s Doorstep), designed to connect directly with citizens.

Gogoi said party workers would visit tea gardens, tribal areas, and villages, staying overnight in local households to “understand people’s real issues.” Public consultations will also be held with intellectuals, writers, and economists to shape the party’s policy priorities.

The APCC President said that preparations for the next election were progressing swiftly, with nearly 90% of Booth Level Agents appointed across 29,000 polling stations. Booth committees, he added, would be completed by the end of the month to prevent electoral malpractice.

The Congress also announced a cultural initiative to honour late singer Zubeen Garg. On November 18, the party will host a special musical event titled “Kanchanjungha – Sanskriti Houk Maitriyor Mantra” (Culture as the Mantra of Harmony) in Guwahati, alongside a statewide Nahor tree plantation drive in Garg’s memory.

Gogoi said additional decisions from the day’s meetings would be revealed in the coming weeks as the opposition bloc prepares its joint roadmap for 2026.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Gogoi said the parties had held detailed discussions on forming a cohesive strategy. "To free the people of Assam from the BJP's torture and CM Himanta Biswa Sarma's injustice, we are all united. We will contest the 2026 assembly elections together. This was the main decision of today's meeting," he stated.

The announcement marks a significant development in Assam's political landscape, as regional and Left parties join hands with the Congress to challenge Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's government. The opposition bloc will now need to work out seat-sharing arrangements and campaign strategies ahead of the crucial state polls.

The BJP has governed Assam since 2016, first under Sarbananda Sonowal and then under Sarma, who took charge in May 2021.