‘Congress like a radarless ship’: Assam minister Prasanta Phukan on Dibrugarh poll battle

Assam minister and BJP candidate from Dibrugarh Assembly constituency Prasanta Phukan has launched a sharp attack on the Indian National Congress, describing it as a “radarless ship” amid the changing political landscape in the constituency.

“In the current situation in Dibrugarh, if you sense the position of Congress, you will feel that Congress is a radarless ship floating in the water without any clear direction,” Phukan said.

Recalling the constituency’s past, he added, “There was a time when, after Raebareli, Dibrugarh was considered a stronghold of Congress. In 1982, our candidate received only 264 votes here. In 2006, I contested the election here for the first time and won by 175 votes.”

Phukan further criticised the party, saying, “Today, the condition of Congress across the entire country is such that they have maintained a very temporary system, win votes by telling lies and the public has rejected it. We prioritised the people's voice, which is why today BJP and NDA are in such a strong position.”

Dibrugarh, once a Congress bastion in the Northeast, has over the years emerged as a stronghold of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), with Phukan consolidating his position since his first victory in 2006.

In a significant development ahead of the upcoming elections, the Congress has decided not to field its own candidate from the seat, leaving it to its ally, the Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP), which has nominated Mainak Patra.

The contest is expected to be triangular, with Phukan facing AJP’s Mainak Patra and Kamal Hazarika of the Vikas India Party, though it is largely being seen as a direct BJP-AJP fight.

With the BJP firmly entrenched and the Congress absent from the fray, Dibrugarh is being closely watched as a key constituency reflecting the broader political shift in Assam.