Tensions flared at Rajiv Bhawan on Wednesday, February 25 as Congress workers from the Dalgaon constituency staged a massive protest over reports that the party may concede the Dalgaon seat to Raijor Dal. The demonstration exposed deepening fissures within the party’s grassroots ranks ahead of crucial assembly election in Assam.
Raising slogans against Raijor Dal and voicing strong dissent against the reported move, agitated Congress cadres gathered at Rajiv Bhawan, the party office in Guwahati, warning the leadership against what they termed a “demoralising compromise.”
Protesters asserted that Dalgaon has traditionally been a Congress stronghold and argued that conceding the constituency would send a negative message to loyal workers who have sustained the party’s presence on the ground.
The demonstrators made it clear that if the Dalgaon ticket is not allotted to a Congress candidate, local workers may consider resigning en masse.
More than a hundred Congress workers assembled outside the residence of Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi at Ajanta Path, on Tuesday night, staging a forceful protest against any reported move to cede the Dalgaon Assembly constituency to the Raijor Dal as part of a potential alliance arrangement.
The agitating workers categorically declared that they would not accept, under any circumstances, the transfer of Dalgaon to Raijor Dal. Raising slogans and expressing sharp discontent, they warned of an intensified agitation if the constituency is relinquished.
Protesters alleged that discussions over the seat-sharing formula were conducted without consulting grassroots party members or local residents, calling the move undemocratic and dismissive of organisational sentiment. The public show of dissent underscores growing unease within sections of the Congress rank and file, even as broader Opposition negotiations continue ahead of the Assembly elections.
While the party leadership has yet to issue an official statement on the matter, the intensity of the protest highlights mounting pressure from within the ranks and the delicate balancing act the leadership faces in managing alliances without alienating core supporters.
While the Congress-AJP arithmetic now appears largely settled, friction persists with the Raijor Dal, raising fresh questions about Opposition unity in the state. Sivasagar MLA and Raijor Dal chief Akhil Gogoi said discussions over seat-sharing are still incomplete and claimed that the Congress has yet to formally communicate its final decision to his party.
Gogoi revealed that the Raijor Dal has formally demanded 15 Assembly constituencies as part of the proposed alliance arrangement. He warned that sidelining his party from the Opposition coalition could prove counterproductive and dilute the collective challenge against the Bharatiya Janata Party in Assam.
Asserting that Raijor Dal commands strong grassroots support in multiple constituencies, Gogoi said the party plays a crucial role in mobilising youth and marginalised sections — demographics that could significantly influence electoral outcomes. He maintained that any Opposition strategy that ignores on-ground organisational strength risks weakening the broader anti-incumbency narrative.
