Unity or Uncertainty? Assam Opposition Launches Front Without Raijor Dal

Guwahati: Putting an end to weeks of speculation surrounding opposition unity ahead of the upcoming Assam Assembly elections, the process of building a united opposition front formally began on Friday with a joint press conference held at Greenwood Hotel in Beltola, Guwahati.

The press conference was addressed by Gaurav Gogoi, President of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC), Lurinjyoti Gogoi, President of the Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP), Suprakash Talukdar, State Secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), and John Ingti Kathar, President of the Autonomous State Demand Committee (APHLC). The leaders announced that their parties have begun a joint political journey with the objective of defeating the Bharatiya Janata Party in the upcoming elections and taking their campaign together to the people across the state.

However, what drew significant attention during the press conference was the absence of Akhil Gogoi, chief of the Raijor Dal. It was the first major opposition interaction with the media on alliance politics where Raijor Dal was not present. Although the Indian National Congress, Assam Jatiya Parishad, CPI(M) and APHLC appear to have reached a broad understanding on working together, discussions with Raijor Dal are yet to reach a final conclusion.

Not only Raijor Dal, but the Communist Party of India (CPI) has also expressed dissatisfaction over not being included in the alliance so far.

Taking to Facebook, CPI leader Krishna Gogoi wrote that even though the CPI had not been included in the opposition alliance, the party would still support alliance candidates in most constituencies, except in seven seats where the CPI has decided to field its own candidates.

Opening the press conference, APCC President Gaurav Gogoi said the coming weeks would be crucial as the Assembly elections could be held even before Rongali Bihu. He noted that the time available for the opposition was extremely limited.

“There is a possibility that the Assembly elections in Assam may be held before Rongali Bihu. Therefore time is very limited. These thirty days are extremely valuable,” Gogoi said.

He added that although the opposition parties had long felt the need for an alliance, earlier political efforts were focused on strengthening their organisational bases. According to him, the campaign that should have begun earlier could not take place because each party was busy strengthening its internal structure.

“But now it has become necessary to come together and take these issues to the people. That is why we have united today,” he said.

Gogoi also announced that immediately after the press conference the opposition parties would begin joint campaign activities across Upper Assam, Lower Assam, the Barak Valley and the hill districts. He clarified that discussions with Raijor Dal, CPI and Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Liberation are still continuing.

“Although they were not present in today’s press conference, discussions are ongoing with Raijor Dal, CPI and CPI(ML). We have long been saying that we want to unite, and from today that process has formally begun,” he said.

Speaking at the press conference, AJP President Lurinjyoti Gogoi said the coming together of the four parties sends a strong political message to the people of Assam. He stated that their political journey begins with the objective of defeating what he described as the communal politics of the BJP. According to him, the opposition alliance would go to the people across the state and explain how the BJP government has pushed Assam into a difficult situation over the last decade.

“With the support of the people, we will work to remove the BJP from power and fulfil the aspirations of the people of Assam,” he said.

APHLC President John Ingti Kathar strongly criticised the BJP and its ideological links with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). He said the first objective of the opposition alliance was to resist what he called the destructive forces of the BJP. According to him, the BJP functions according to the dictates of the RSS, which follows the Manusmriti.

“Manusmriti is anti-tribal,” he said, adding that tribal communities in Karbi Anglong are facing deprivation in both political and economic spheres. For that reason, he said, the people of the region are trying to remove the BJP through democratic struggle.

CPI(M) State Secretary Suprakash Talukdar claimed that despite projecting itself as a “double-engine government” with power at the Centre, in the state and in local bodies, the BJP appears anxious ahead of the elections. Referring to the party’s Jan Ashirwad Yatra, Talukdar said the ruling party had received intelligence reports suggesting that it may face difficulties this time. He also alleged that attempts had been made to obstruct opposition programmes, claiming that Gaurav Gogoi was prevented from entering namghars and temples during his political yatra.

Replying to questions from journalists, Gaurav Gogoi also criticised the BJP over its alleged reliance on the All India United Democratic Front during the Rajya Sabha elections led by Badruddin Ajmal. Gogoi remarked that in the end the BJP had to take refuge in the AIUDF despite having spent years attacking the party and raising fear among people by invoking AIUDF and using divisive language such as “Miya” and “outsider”. According to him, the same people who were portrayed as outsiders are now being embraced for political convenience.

He also made a sarcastic remark, saying Ajmal acts like a “108 service” for Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, suggesting that whenever the Chief Minister is in trouble he turns to Ajmal for political support.

Gogoi further revealed that several AIUDF MLAs had expressed interest in joining the Congress, but the party refused to accept them. According to him, the Congress clearly told them that it could not accept legislators from a communal party, whereas the BJP had welcomed them.

Responding to a question about the Chief Minister’s remark that the BJP would field a candidate from an ordinary family against him in Jorhat, Gogoi said the ordinary people of Assam are themselves preparing to defeat the Chief Minister this time.

“He has been in politics for 25 years. Now the people are preparing to give him a farewell,” he said.

AJP leader Lurinjyoti Gogoi also attacked the BJP, alleging that the party survives politically in Assam because of AIUDF. He claimed that without the “oxygen” of AIUDF the BJP would not survive even for a minute. He further remarked that communal politics had been practiced by Himanta Biswa Sarma even during his time in Congress and continued after he joined the BJP.

Mocking the BJP’s Jan Ashirwad Yatra, Lurinjyoti described it as a “Jan Abhishap Yatra”. He accused the government of taking away around 49,000 bighas of land from tribal communities and handing it over to corporate groups such as Mukesh Ambani, Gautam Adani and Baba Ramdev.

He also alleged irregularities such as the Gir cow scam, a sevenfold increase in land revenue, the proliferation of toll gates, failure to implement Clause 6 of the Assam Accord, and failure to fulfil promises regarding illegal foreigners. Referring to the issue of justice for Zubeen Garg, he asked whether the people would bless such a government or curse it in the elections.

At the end of the press conference, Gaurav Gogoi thanked journalists and humorously remarked that he never asks the names of the owners of the media channels where they work and is not interested in knowing them either. He wished journalists well and said he hoped their jobs would continue smoothly and their families would remain happy, concluding his remarks by saying, “Long live the world of journalism.”

Senior Assam Jatiya Parishad leader and noted advocate Kamal Narayan Choudhury and former Assam Chief Secretary C. K. Das were also present at the press conference, which was anchored by Bedabrat Bora, Chairman of the Media and Communications Department of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee.

Hiren Gohain Urges Faster Opposition Unity

Meanwhile, noted intellectual Hiren Gohain addressed a separate press conference and expressed dissatisfaction over the delay in the formation of a united opposition alliance. Gohain said he had been warning opposition parties since September about the importance of uniting before the elections.

According to him, although some progress has been made, the parties have still not been able to come together fully. He urged the opposition not to waste valuable time in disputes over seat sharing and instead focus on identifying candidates who have the best chance of winning in each constituency.

Gohain also admitted that he has differences of opinion with Akhil Gogoi on certain matters, but stressed that such disagreements should not become an obstacle to opposition unity. He said that arguing over how many seats each party should get would serve little purpose, and that the real focus should be on which party or candidate can defeat the BJP in a particular constituency.

The veteran thinker also criticised the BJP government, alleging that it has burdened Assam with heavy debt. According to him, while roads, bridges and other infrastructure projects have been constructed, many of them suffer from poor quality.

Gohain also urged the people of Assam not to be misled by the rhetoric of the BJP and to remain cautious about the party’s promises.

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