Gaurav Gogoi says he ‘does not fear’ Himanta Biswa Sarma, vows to capture Dispur in 2026

Assam Pradesh Congress Committee president and Lok Sabha MP Gaurav Gogoi, on November 14, declared that he has “no fear” of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and asserted that the Congress is preparing to return to power in the 2026 Assembly elections. 

Addressing reporters in Maibang during his two-day visit to Dima Hasao district, Gogoi said the party will first “capture Dispur” and then take control of the North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council.

Gogoi, who attended a workers’ meeting of the district Congress unit, said discussions centred on local issues and the party’s strategy for the months ahead. He announced that booth-level conventions will soon be held across Dima Hasao and that Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi will be invited to participate.

Responding to questions on the NDA’s sweeping victory in Bihar, the Congress leader said the outcome there would not influence Assam. 

“The people of Bihar will vote in Bihar, and the people of Assam will vote in Assam. Here, the Dimasa, Bodo, Karbi, Rabha, Moran, Motok, Gorkha and Bengali communities will vote to end the dictatorship of Himanta Biswa Sarma,” he said.

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Gogoi alleged that under the present government, 40,000 bighas of tribal land had been handed over to major corporate groups. “There is no protection for the land of tribal communities in Assam. If Congress forms the government, safeguarding people’s land rights will be our priority,” he said.

He also criticised the recent delimitation exercise, claiming it was carried out under the influence of Minister Ashok Singhal in a manner that disappointed tribal communities. He accused the chief minister of sidelining leaders such as Debolal Gorlosa, Tuliram Ronghang, and even former chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal to consolidate his own position. “Himanta Biswa Sarma has finished Pramod Boro’s party, and before that, he destroyed Hagrama Mohilary’s,” Gogoi added.

Gogoi said he was unfazed by the allegations periodically levelled against him by the chief minister. “If he thinks false accusations can silence me, he is mistaken. Neither I nor the people of Assam are afraid anymore. Even BJP leaders in Delhi no longer trust him,” he claimed.

Earlier in the day, Gogoi visited Haflong Civil Hospital before travelling to Maibang, where he took part in the Congress-backed signature campaign against “vote theft and chair theft”. He later addressed a workers’ meeting and concluded his tour of the district before departing for Guwahati.