Assam Congress launches people-centric drive to shape 2026 poll manifesto

The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) is set to launch its new campaign “Raijor Padulit Raijor Congress” (People’s Congress at the People’s Doorstep) on December 6 in Dibrugarh, aiming to reconnect with grassroots communities and gauge public concerns across the politically charged state. 

The launch will be held both on the ground and across digital platforms, with APCC president Gaurav Gogoi and senior leaders in attendance. The campaign operations will be led by Bhupen Bora with coordination by Debabrata Saikia.

At the core of the campaign is a statewide exercise to collect citizens’ aspirations through specially designed Aspiration Boxes. 

These submissions will be gathered from diverse groups including tea garden workers, farmers, women’s collectives, self-help groups (SHGs), students, and rural communities. 

The inputs will inform the party’s Vision Document and 2026 election manifesto, an exercise overseen by Manifesto Committee Chairperson MP Pradyut Bordoloi.

Bordoloi said, “In Assam, people from all castes and communities, from Sadiya to Dhubri, from Barak to Brahmaputra, form one Assamese community. Chaulung Sukaphaa united this land, and Srimanta Sankardeva gave us our vision and identity. 

Congress aims to listen to everyone’s concerns and aspirations and find ways to fulfill them. Starting December 6 in Dibrugarh, we will engage with people to rebuild Assam free from corruption and fear and prepare a forward-looking manifesto. Through this, we will establish the ‘Raijor Padulit Raijor Congress.’”

During the launch, community groups such as tea tribe organisations, student representatives, SHG members, and farmers’ groups will submit their aspirations on the spot, symbolically marking the start of the campaign. Party workers and senior leaders will also contribute entries to demonstrate collective ownership of the initiative.

Following the launch, booth-level, mandal-level, and district committees will place Aspiration Boxes across Assam in public spaces such as marketplaces, community halls, bus stops, playgrounds, tea garden labour lines, and outside schools and colleges. 

The campaign will start in Dibrugarh and gradually expand to all 35 districts, with more than 3,000 boxes expected to be deployed in phases. Publicity and outreach are being coordinated by MP Rakibul Hussain.

The campaign comes amid growing public dissatisfaction over several unfulfilled promises under the BJP government, in power since 2016. Concerns include recurring floods despite Brahmaputra dredging and reservoir projects, daily wages for tea garden workers still below promised ₹351, unresolved demands for ST status among certain communities, stalled women’s empowerment schemes, high maternal mortality, rising gender-based violence, child trafficking, poor rural health access, man–animal conflicts, and school dropouts.

By placing people’s voices at the centre, the APCC hopes to craft a vision that reflects ground realities and signals the party’s commitment to addressing unfulfilled promises ahead of the next Assembly elections. 

Senior leader Ripun Bora is overseeing the campaign’s management, while Jitendra Singh, AICC General Secretary and In-charge for Assam Pradesh Congress Committee, will guide coordination across organisational levels to ensure its successful execution.