Guwahati, Feb 26: Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Gaurav Gogoi confirmed on Wednesday that while he remains strategically in favor of an alliance with the Raijor Dal for the upcoming Assembly elections, internal optimism regarding the partnership has begun to wane. Addressing the media on February 25, Gogoi revealed that while negotiations with several other political entities have reached a near-conclusion with only formal announcements pending, the dialogue with the Akhil Gogoi-led Raijor Dal remains incomplete. The APCC chief recently returned from Delhi, where he provided the Congress central leadership with detailed inputs on the state’s potential coalition arrangements, noting that the high command will soon offer final guidance on these submitted reports.
A significant point of contention has emerged regarding the public nature of recent political maneuvering. In a pointed critique of Raijor Dal’s communication style, Gogoi underscored the Congress party’s tradition of maintaining strict confidentiality during sensitive seat-sharing discussions. He emphasized that the party does not share the practice of making premature public statements, noting that he has intentionally withheld the names of other finalized partners to uphold organizational decorum. This friction is further compounded by Raijor Dal’s recent induction of a suspended Congress MLA and another legislator who had been the subject of internal grievances within the Congress fold. Reports suggesting these individuals have already been promised election tickets have prompted cautious deliberation within the Congress camp.
Despite these growing reservations, Gogoi maintained that a united opposition remains a beneficial strategy in the broader political context of Assam. He admitted that his level of optimism regarding a deal with Raijor Dal has decreased compared to earlier stages of the discussion, yet he expressed a continued commitment to convincing his colleagues, senior leaders, and the party’s central high command of the merits of unity. As the election season intensifies, the outcome of these evolving dynamics between the state’s primary opposition party and the regional powerhouse is expected to be a decisive factor in the final coalition arithmetic.
