Guwahati, March 2: Akhil Gogoi on Monday, March 2 indicated that the situation surrounding alliance negotiations with the Congress has deteriorated, pointing to mounting uncertainty over seat-sharing arrangements ahead of the elections.
Speaking to the media, the Raijor Dal leader announced that he would hold a detailed press conference in Guwahati at 3 pm to clearly spell out his party’s stand on the alliance and the distribution of seats. He suggested that recent developments had complicated discussions that were earlier seen as progressing.
At the centre of the friction is the issue of seat allocation. Gogoi stated that Raijor Dal had initially sought 27 seats but later reduced its demand to 15 in what he described as a major compromise aimed at accommodating alliance partners. Despite this, he alleged that the talks lacked consistency, remarking that assurances given on one day appeared to change the next, which he said reflected a lack of clarity and commitment from the other side.
The disagreement has also touched upon the Mandia and East Goalpara constituencies, where a “friendly contest” had earlier been suggested. However, senior Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi reportedly conveyed that he would not be able to contest from those seats. Reacting to the development, Akhil Gogoi questioned the shifting position and expressed dissatisfaction over the evolving stand.
In a statement that hinted at a broader political positioning, Gogoi said that the people mattered more to him than his party, projecting what appeared to be a people-first approach amid the turbulence. Even as tensions surfaced, he clarified that he had no objection to the Congress conducting a padyatra in Sivasagar, suggesting that communication channels remain open.
Gogoi further observed that the Congress had neither clearly confirmed nor rejected support for his party, leaving the alliance arrangement in a state of ambiguity. According to him, the absence of a definitive stand has contributed significantly to the worsening atmosphere in the talks.
