Assam Congress ends alliance with Akhil Gogoi’s Raijor Dal, cites ‘alliance ethics’ violations

The Congress on September 3 formally ended its political alliance with Akhil Gogoi-led Raijor Dal, accusing the regional party of repeatedly breaching the norms of the opposition alliance.

The decision, which takes immediate effect, was taken on the direction of Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president and Deputy Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi. An organisational circular announcing the move was issued by APCC General Secretary (Organisation) Ramanna Baruah.

According to the Congress, the alliance was formed ahead of the previous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections to bring together regional and Left parties, including Raijor Dal, and present a united opposition against what it described as communal forces.

The party, however, alleged that Raijor Dal leaders spent much of the alliance period targeting the Congress through what it called malicious propaganda and personal attacks. Congress also accused the party leadership of making “baseless, unwarranted and derogatory” remarks against leaders of other parties in the opposition grouping.

The repeated incidents, the Congress said, had undermined the basic principles governing the alliance and made it impossible to continue political ties with Raijor Dal.

The split follows a public escalation between the two parties over the past week.

On Sunday, the APCC had sharply criticised remarks made by Akhil Gogoi against the Congress and accused him of disregarding alliance principles. At a joint press conference, Assam Pradesh Mahila Congress president Mira Borthakur and APCC Media and Communication Department chairman Bedabrat Bora attacked Gogoi's political conduct and warned him against allegedly acting as a “government agent”.

Bora also defended Congress leaders, including Gaurav Gogoi and former Leader of Opposition Debabrata Saikia, saying they had been working on flood relief and rehabilitation efforts in Assam.

Taking aim at Akhil Gogoi, Bora alleged that the Raijor Dal chief owed his electoral victory in Sivasagar to Congress support, arguing that he would not have won the seat without the party's backing.

Despite severing ties with Raijor Dal, the Congress said it would continue to take up public issues and hold the BJP-led government accountable over what it termed anti-people policies, injustice and misgovernance.

The breakdown comes after the May 2026 Assam Assembly election, in which the BJP won 82 of the 126 seats. Congress finished with 19 seats, while the Bodoland Peoples Front and Asom Gana Parishad won 10 seats each. The All India United Democratic Front and Raijor Dal secured two seats apiece, while the All India Trinamool Congress won one seat.