Guwahati, Jan 2: As political mobilisation intensifies ahead of the Assam Assembly elections, senior Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi launched a sharp attack on the state government during a joint opposition convention in Dibrugarh, framing the upcoming polls as a decisive moment of public judgment rather than a routine electoral exercise.
Addressing party workers and supporters, Gogoi said the election was not merely a battle between rival political formations but a collective struggle of the people of Assam against what he described as the rule of a single “king”. Without directly naming the chief minister, he said voters clearly understood the reference and accused the ruling dispensation of depending on money power, muscle power, communal polarisation and repeated violations of democratic norms to retain power.
Expressing confidence in the electorate, Gogoi said people would unite to counter politics rooted in fear and intimidation. He argued that the outcome of the Assam elections would resonate beyond the state, sending a strong national message against the misuse of money and coercion in the democratic process.
Calling the polls a referendum on Assam’s identity and self-respect, the Congress leader said the people would not bargain away their culture, traditions, historical heritage or dignity. He added that a clear democratic assertion from Assam could inspire similar movements elsewhere in the country against injustice and authoritarianism.
Gogoi also alleged that the present government had created an environment of fear, claiming that journalists, government employees and businesspersons were increasingly facing pressure and harassment. Such a climate, he said, was unprecedented in Assam and had not existed during the tenures of previous chief ministers.
Hinting at a possible shift in opposition strategy, Gogoi remarked that after this month “the phase of friendship will end and a new political direction will be decided”, a statement widely interpreted as signalling imminent decisions on opposition alliances ahead of the elections.
The convention saw participation from several opposition leaders and a large turnout of local residents, with repeated appeals to safeguard Assam’s peace, unity and cultural fabric. Concluding his address, Gogoi said the opposition remained committed to restoring harmony in the state and ending what he termed the politics of injustice.
