Ex-AATSA chief to join BJP with 500 supporters, revs up 2026 Titabar race
Seen as a key Titabar contender, Dhiraj Gowala will join BJP at 6 pm in presence of senior leaders at Atal Bihari Vajpayee Bhawan
File image of former AATSA president, Dhiraj Gowala
Jorhat, Dec 9: Former All Assam Tea Tribes Students’ Association (AATSA) president Dhiraj Gowala is set to join the BJP in Guwahati on Tuesday, ending months of speculation and injecting fresh political buzz into the Titabar Assembly constituency ahead of the 2026 elections.
Gowala, seen as a key contender for the Titabar seat, a Congress stronghold for years, will formally join the party at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Bhawan in the presence of senior BJP leaders at around 6 pm.
Speaking to the press ahead of the event, Gowala said, “The Titabar constituency was with the Congress for 15 years under Tarun Gogoi, yet it remains one of the most backward constituencies in the state. I want to be in the BJP and contribute to the work the party is doing. The people of Assam and the tea tribe have gained a lot under Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.”
He said he has been working for the Tea Tribes since 2005 and became AATSA president in 2020 before stepping down in October. “Titabar block Congress leaders and workers too will join the BJP today,” he added.
Explaining why he chose the BJP ahead of the 2026 polls, Gowala said he believed the community had benefited from the current government’s policies.
“Of late, the community has got a lot of benefits. The leaders have become wealthy but the people of the community have been poor. But today, BJP is changing the norms and many youth from the Tea Tribe are getting government jobs. They didn’t have land pattas, now they have land pattas. I want to be in the party and contribute to the work the BJP is doing,” he said.
Earlier in the day, a convoy of over 100 vehicles rolled out of Titabar as more than 500 supporters, many from tea garden communities, travelled with him to the state BJP office.
Many of his supporters pointed to Chief Minister Sarma’s initiatives on eviction drives, employment, health and education as shaping their decision.
Some also cited the government’s handling of the report on granting ST status to six communities of Assam.
“Dhiraj Gowala will officially contribute and be part of the BJP. Since there was no AATSA representative in BJP earlier, we believe there will be an MLA from the party in Titabar in the 2026 elections,” said one of the supporters.
Supporters believe Gowala’s entry could help the BJP gain ground in Titabar, where the party has so far lacked an AATSA representative.
With the 2026 Assembly elections nearing, Gowala’s induction is expected to intensify political activity in the constituency.