Over 9,000 Join Congress Across Assam: Gaurav Gogoi Says “This Time, People Will Give the Fun Back”

Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Gaurav Gogoi on Monday announced that the Congress government will abolish the so-called ‘Mami Tax’ once it comes to power. He said the illegal tax has become a burden on entrepreneurs and job creators in the state, who are forced to pay it before starting any enterprise.

Addressing a massive gathering at the Congress joining programme held at Philobari in Tinsukia district, Gogoi said that the people of Assam are being crushed under the weight of coal, sand, and supari (betel nut) syndicates, along with the illegal Mami Tax.

Recalling singer Zubeen Garg’s statement that Assam’s treasures are its tea, rhinos, oil, and Zubeen himself, Gogoi lamented that even these symbols of pride are now “under attack” due to misgovernance.

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At the Philobari event, several BJP leaders and workers — including former Tinsukia district BJP president Lakheshwar Moran — joined the Congress, citing disillusionment with the BJP’s policies and admiration for the Congress’s ideology. Nearly 1,000 people from various organisations in the area took Congress membership during the event.

Parallel joining ceremonies were held across the state. In Guwahati, more than 100 individuals — including lawyers, senior citizens, and former BJP members — joined the party under the initiative of the Guwahati District Congress Committee. The event was attended by Leader of the Opposition Debabrata Saikia, former presidents Ripun Bora and Bhupen Bora, former MP Abdul Khaleque, and Assam Pradesh Mahila Congress president Mira Barthakur.

Similar joining programmes took place in Jorhat, Sivasagar, Charaideo, Dibrugarh, Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Sonitpur, Kamrup (Rural), Dhubri, Nagaon, Morigaon, Barpeta, Nalbari, Darrang, and Udalguri, among others.

In Dhubri, MP Rakibul Hussain led the event, while MP Pradyut Bordoloi oversaw programmes in Nagaon and Morigaon. In Sonitpur, around 200 people joined the Congress in the presence of former MP Madhab Rajbanshi and MLA Shibamani Bora. In Barpeta, the programme was led by APCC Working President Zakir Hussain Sikdar.

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According to information received from 35 districts, around 9,500 people formally joined the Congress on November 10. Large-scale joining events were also reported from Goalpara, Bongaigaon, South Salmara–Mankachar, Baksa, and several other districts.

After the event, Gogoi told the media, “We have kept our promise. The people of Assam no longer believe what Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma says. This growing support shows the people’s verdict against misrule.”

Earlier today, in a facebook post, Gogoi took a jibe at the ruling BJP party saying, “ৰাইজক মজা দিয়াবোৰক, এইবাৰ ৰাইজে মজা দিব” (Those who have mocked the people will now be taught a lesson by the people themselves), emphasizing that this surge reflects the public’s desire for “a new Assam — an Assam of peace, dignity, and self-respect.”

The APCC president reminded that the Congress had decided to hold mass joining programmes on the 10th of every month — first on September 10, then October 10, and now November 10 — to welcome people from different political parties, organisations, and social groups.

“True to our commitment, we have kept our promise on the 10th of every month. Today’s overwhelming participation is not only a positive sign for us but also a matter of concern for the ruling side,” Gogoi said, announcing that the next mass joining programme will be held on December 10.