Assam: Congress faces heat in Boko-Chaygaon over ‘parachute landing candidate’ row

The Indian National Congress’ decision to unveil its first list of 42 candidates for the 2026 Assam Assembly elections has sparked unrest in the Boko-Chaygaon constituency, where the denial of a ticket to local aspirant Johnson J. Sangma has triggered sharp backlash from party workers and supporters.

Within hours of the list’s release, hundreds of voters and Congress workers gathered at Gohalkona in protest, accusing the party leadership of imposing a “parachute landing candidate” instead of backing a grassroots face. The discontent underscores simmering tensions between local units and the central leadership over candidate selection.

Sangma, who had been actively campaigning across the constituency and building local networks, expressed disappointment over the decision. He maintained that the party should have taken into account the sentiments of voters and ground-level workers before finalising the nomination.

Supporters echoed that sentiment, arguing that sidelining a local contender in favour of an outsider risks alienating dedicated cadres and weakening organisational cohesion in Lower Assam. They stressed that every vote would be crucial in what is expected to be a tightly contested election.