Efforts to forge an alliance between the Indian National Congress and the Raijor Dal in Assam for the upcoming 2026 Assembly elections have faced significant turmoil, leading to accusations of “unilateral decision-making, arrogance, and deliberately sabotaging” from the Raijor Dal towards the Congress. This discontent stems from the exclusion of the Raijor Dal from a recent meeting of four political groups held in Guwahati, which the Raijor Dal perceives as the definitive breakdown of negotiations for a united opposition.
The party, led by Akhil Gogoi, criticized the actions of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president, Gaurav Gogoi, labeling his demeanor as “arrogant” and suggesting a lack of genuine interest in constructing a broad coalition aimed at opposing BJP’s dominance. The Raijor Dal expressed dismay after being formally excluded from the alliance meeting on March 6, where significant decisions were made without their involvement. They described this treatment as “deeply disrespectful” and indicative of a dismissive attitude towards their role in the opposition.
Furthermore, the Raijor Dal referred to a prior Assam United Civil Society Convention held on July 6, 2025, highlighting that Gaurav Gogoi failed to offer clear support for a broad opposition coalition even then. A pivotal point of contention between these parties lies in the negotiations over seat sharing for the 2026 elections, where the Raijor Dal is seeking to navigate a reduction in their potential bargaining power, going from a claim of 27 seats to a mere four positions in the alliance framework. This friction illustrates the challenges ahead for opposition consolidation in Assam against the ruling party.
