Congress–Raijor Dal talks hit rough patch; Gaurav flags strain over ex-members

Guwahati, Feb 25: Cracks appear to be widening within Assam’s Opposition bloc ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections, with the Congress hinting at unease over seat-sharing negotiations with Raijor Dal even as formal talks remain “ongoing”.

Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Gaurav Gogoi, on Wednesday, acknowledged that discussions with Raijor Dal are at varying stages, saying he had forwarded detailed reports to the party high command covering both concluded negotiations and “half-way” talks.

The Jorhat MP also flagged concerns over Raijor Dal fielding leaders who had either left or been expelled from the Congress; a move he indicated is under internal review.

“People know and understand everything. Though I am still positive of the alliance, it is not the same as before,” Gogoi said, in remarks that underscore the fragility of the emerging Opposition front.

While stopping short of declaring a breakdown, he made it clear that any final decision would rest with the Congress central leadership.

“We will formally inform about the seat sharing and alliance talks. Our discussion of seat sharing has been concluded with multiple parties,” he said, adding that the party adheres to established conventions before making public announcements.

Sensing an opening, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma weighed in, cautioning the Congress against ceding minority-dominated constituencies to smaller alliance partners.

“There is no point denying that Congress has a strong presence in minority-dominated constituencies and a high probability of winning them. If those seats are given to Raijor Dal or Asom Jatiya Parishad (AJP), Congress may be deprived of sitting on the Opposition bench next time,” Sarma said.

He pointed to the arithmetic. “A party requires at least 22 seats in the 126-member Assembly to claim the post of Leader of the Opposition,” he told the press, in Jorhat.

“If Raijor Dal gets five seats, AJP one seat, and AIUDF wins two or three seats, then Congress will definitely lose the Opposition seat next year,” he added.

The BJP has repeatedly framed the Opposition’s seat-sharing exercise as a zero-sum calculation that could weaken the Congress’ institutional position even if the alliance performs reasonably well.

Earlier on Tuesday, despite the uncertainty surrounding Raijor Dal, the Congress appears to have progressed with other partners.

The party has reportedly cleared nine Assembly constituencies for the Asom Jatiya Parishad (AJP), namely Khowang, Barhampur, Binnakandi, Bajali, Dibrugarh, Sarupathar, Guwahati Central, Sadiya and Palashbari. Whether similar clarity emerges in talks with Raijor Dal remains to be seen.