I did not know I was contesting from Jorhat till the last moment: Gaurav Gogoi

Congress leader and sitting Lok Sabha MP Gaurav Gogoi on March 31 revealed that his candidature for the Jorhat Assembly seat was decided at the last moment, even as he expressed strong confidence in both his own prospects and a broader political shift in Assam.

Speaking in an interview with India Today NE, Gogoi said he was initially not in the fray for the Assembly elections due to his responsibilities as a Member of Parliament and state party president. 

“I myself was not a candidate for this Assembly election as I am a sitting member of the Lok Sabha. The party has given me the responsibility of being the state president,” he said.

He added that it was only at a very late stage that the party decided he should contest from Jorhat. “It was actually at the very final stages that I got to know that the party wished me to contest from the Jorhat Assembly election—a responsibility that I was willing to take, and I’m glad that the people are supporting so far,” Gogoi stated.

On his electoral prospects, Gogoi struck a confident note, asserting that his campaign is backed by a wider political undercurrent across the state. “I’m very confident that not only this Assembly seat, but there is a huge undercurrent in the state of Assam,” he said.

He alleged that there is growing public resentment against what he described as “politics of fear, intimidation, and bullying,” targeting the style of governance under Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. Gogoi further criticised the political discourse in the state, calling it “coarse and vulgar.”

Escalating his attack, the Congress leader alleged that individuals surrounding the Chief Minister are linked to various illegal networks. “If you look at the people surrounding him, his entire coterie is full of people linked with different mafias—whether cow, sand, or stone,” he claimed, adding that such leadership raises serious concerns about governance.

Gogoi argued that these factors have contributed to a growing demand for change among voters. “You cannot have the leadership of your state in the hands of such dubious characters,” he said.

Expressing optimism about the outcome, he said the prevailing sentiment indicates a shift in favour of the opposition. Gogoi concluded by stating that he is confident of a Congress-led alliance forming the next government in Assam.