2026 Assam polls will be people vs ‘self-perceived king’: APCC chief

Dibrugarh, Jan 3: Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Gaurav Gogoi said on Friday that the 2026 Assam Assembly elections will be unprecedented, asserting that the contest will not be between political parties but between the people of Assam and what he termed a “self-perceived king”.

He said the identity of the ‘king’ he is referring to is well-known to the public.

Addressing a mass convention, Gogoi said that the Opposition parties are aware of the widespread anger and frustration among the people and are therefore standing united with them.

He alleged that despite efforts by the ruling dispensation to influence voters through financial inducements, communal polarisation, and alleged violations of electoral laws, the people of Assam will respond decisively.

“The people of Assam will unitedly send a powerful message to the nation that money, force, arrogance, threats, and divisive politics cannot override the dignity of the people,” Gogoi said, adding that Assam’s land, heritage, culture, peace, and social harmony will be safeguarded.

He further maintained that the outcome of the 2026 elections will have national significance, creating a ripple effect across the country and inspiring people in other states to draw lessons from Assam’s collective stand.

The Congress leader was speaking at a mass convention held under the aegis of the Dibrugarh District Nagarik Sanmilan at the Amolapatty Natya Mandir auditorium. The event aimed to persuade Opposition parties to unite to protect democracy and citizens’ rights.

Gogoi accused the ruling government of treating citizens as “subjects” rather than equal stakeholders in a democracy.

“The government has been stripping citizens of their rights through various means. There have been attempts to curtail the rights of the citizens to question, criticise, and express dissent. Citizens under the present government are treated as ‘proja’ (subjects),” he said.

He further alleged that government welfare schemes are being misused as tools to silence beneficiaries.

“Schemes existed earlier and will continue in the future. But using them to intimidate people and create fear among beneficiaries will be uprooted in the forthcoming Assembly elections,” Gogoi said, adding that the process of forming a grand alliance of Opposition parties is likely to conclude within the current month.

The convention witnessed participation from almost all major Opposition parties and a wide cross-section of civil society.

Presided over by senior freelance journalist Sarat Chandra Neog, along with Ranjan Gogoi and Mira Tanti, the speakers raised concerns over the alleged erosion of democratic values, curbs on civil liberties, and issues affecting ordinary citizens.

Raijor Dal general secretary Dharjya Konwar laid stress on the need for Opposition unity to safeguard the Constitution and democracy.

“Let the 2026 Assembly election stand as a testimony to unity across ethnic and religious lines. Indigenous people are not safe under the present government, which is keen on handing over vast tracts of land to corporate giants,” he alleged.

CPI-ML general secretary Bibek Das said that history showed that the BJP had never been a friend of indigenous communities. Drawing a parallel with colonial rule, he accused the ruling party of attempting to undermine federalism and democratic rights.

Assam Jatiya Parishad president Lurinjyoti Gogoi echoed similar sentiments, calling for collective cooperation across communities, tribes, and religions. CPI State secretary and national executive member Kanak Gogoi and a few others also spoke on the occasion.

Representatives from various ethnic organisations, social groups, and minority religious communities from different districts of Assam also attended the convention. The convention concluded with a collective call to unseat the BJP-led government.