Guwahati, Jan 11: The reported induction of former All Assam Minority Students’ Union (AAMSU) president Rezaul Karim Sarkar into the Indian National Congress and the possibility of his candidature from the Srijangram Assembly constituency in the 2026 Assam Assembly elections have triggered strong dissent within the Bongaigaon District Congress Committee (DCC).
Bongaigaon DCC president Girish Baruah has written to Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Gaurav Gogoi, urging the party leadership to reconsider both Sarkar’s induction and his projection as a prospective candidate. In his letter, Baruah flagged serious political and organisational concerns, particularly with regard to electoral perceptions in the socially sensitive Srijangram constituency.
While reiterating that the Congress stands for inclusiveness and democratic values, Baruah cautioned that such decisions must be weighed against ground realities. He warned that Sarkar’s entry and possible candidature could offer the BJP an opportunity to revive its criticism of the Congress by portraying it as overly dependent on Muslim leaders and organisations, potentially leading to a consolidation of Hindu votes against the party not only in Srijangram but across Assam.
The district Congress president also pointed out that during the last Lok Sabha elections, AAMSU workers were allegedly directed by Sarkar to act against the official Congress candidate. Despite this, the Congress candidate went on to win by a margin of over 10 lakh votes, which, Baruah argued, indicated that Sarkar did not command significant grassroots influence among Congress workers or allies.
Expressing concern over organisational morale, Baruah said Srijangram is currently considered a strong constituency for the Congress due to its robust organisational base. He warned that projecting an “outsider” candidate at this stage could demoralise long-serving party workers and create resentment at booth, block and mandal levels, weakening the party’s grassroots structure.
The letter further alleged that Sarkar is widely perceived among grassroots workers to have previously operated under the influence of the ruling establishment and to have maintained a tacit understanding with senior BJP leaders, a perception that could undermine the Congress’s credibility.
Calling Sarkar’s induction a potential “strong political weapon” for the BJP, Baruah urged the APCC leadership to take any final decision only after extensive consultations with district leaders and grassroots workers who would directly face the electoral consequences. He said the representation was made in the larger interest of the Congress, stressing the need to balance ideological commitments with electoral realities ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls.
Meanwhile, Rezaul Karim Sarkar is reported to have begun his journey to Guwahati on January 10 to formally join the Congress party.
