Assam opposition unites to form anti-BJP alliance

Guwahati: Seven opposition parties in Assam, led by the Congress, have agreed to form a united anti-BJP front to challenge the ruling coalition in next year’s Assembly elections.

The alliance aims to unseat the BJP-led government and present a “credible alternative” to the people of Assam.

The decision came after a crucial meeting convened by the Congress at the Congress Legislature Party office in the State Assembly complex on Wednesday.

Senior leaders from the Congress, Raijor Dal, Asom Jatiya Parishad (AJP), CPI, CPI(M), CPI(ML), Anchalik Gana Morcha, and the All Party Hill Leaders’ Conference attended the meeting.

AJP president Lurinjyoti Gogoi and Raijor Dal chief Akhil Gogoi, both key figures in Assam’s regional politics, participated alongside Rajya Sabha MP Ajit Kumar Bhuyan, who leads the Anchalik Gana Morcha.

Congress MP and APCC president Gaurav Gogoi announced that all parties had agreed to work together to “liberate Assam from the corruption, harassment, and divisive politics” under the BJP and Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

“Today’s meeting marks a united decision to unseat the BJP. We are determined to give Assam a government that prioritizes transparency and public welfare,” Gaurav Gogoi said after the meeting.

Leader of the Opposition Debabrata Saikia said the meeting aimed to foster an “election-ready atmosphere” and strengthen coordination among like-minded parties.

AICC general secretary Jitendra Singh, who oversees Assam affairs, and several other senior leaders also joined the discussion.

Echoing Gogoi’s statement, Lurinjyoti Gogoi added, “We all share the same vision, to contest together and restore people’s trust in governance.”

When asked about seat-sharing arrangements, Ajit Kumar Bhuyan said the alliance would finalize those details gradually and communicate them to the public in due course.

Political observers believe the AJP and Raijor Dal, both born out of the anti-CAA movement in 2020, could significantly influence voter dynamics in central and eastern Assam, especially in indigenous-majority areas.

Raijor Dal, which currently has one MLA, Akhil Gogoi himself, is also focusing on minority-dominated constituencies in central and western Assam.

Despite the emerging unity, the AIUDF, led by Badruddin Ajmal, remains outside the proposed alliance. The party, which contested the 2021 Assembly elections in partnership with the Congress, has announced plans to go solo in the upcoming polls scheduled for April–May 2026.

AIUDF currently holds 15 Assembly seats, but its absence from the new front could potentially split Muslim votes, analysts say — a situation that may indirectly benefit the BJP.

The BJP, meanwhile, is preparing to contest the elections with its long-time allies, the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and the Bodoland People’s Front (BPF).

However, uncertainty looms over its alliance with the United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL), which has expressed discontent after the BPF’s recent inclusion in the NDA fold.

The UPPL lost the Bodoland Territorial Council elections last month, fueling speculation about its future alignment.

This latest opposition meeting signals a renewed effort to rebuild coordination among anti-BJP forces after earlier attempts to form a united front collapsed following the 2024 Lok Sabha polls and subsequent by-elections.

As one opposition leader remarked, “This is not just about politics, it’s about restoring democracy, unity, and accountability in Assam.”

Meanwhile, the day in Guwahati remained politically charged as hundreds of home guards protested, demanding the cancellation of training for 5,000 new recruits, adding to the growing pre-election tension across the state.