Raijor Dal chief says the refusal to concede the Dhing constituency derailed alliance talks ahead of the 2026 Assam Assembly elections.
Guwahati: Akhil Gogoi, leader of Raijor Dal and MLA from Sivasagar, has blamed the refusal of Gaurav Gogoi, chief of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC), and MP Rakibul Hussain to give up the Dhing Assembly seat for his party as the main reason behind the collapse of alliance talks with the Indian National Congress ahead of the 2026 Assam Legislative Assembly election.
Speaking to reporters, Gogoi said several rounds of seat-sharing discussions were held between the two parties. Still, Congress was reluctant to accommodate many of the constituencies proposed by Raijor Dal.
According to Gogoi, Congress eventually offered 13 constituencies through a four-member negotiation committee. Of these, only four were seats of Raijor Dal’s choice, while four were proposed as “friendly contest” seats, and five were constituencies suggested by Congress.
He said that among nine seats largely controlled by Congress, Raijor Dal secured agreement on only four preferred constituencies, while the remaining five were seats where Congress expected the party’s support as part of an electoral understanding.
Gogoi said Dhing was among the constituencies Raijor Dal was keen to contest under the friendly arrangement. “If Congress had allowed us to contest from Dhing, we were ready to fight the Assembly elections together,” he said.
“Congress sidelined Raijor Dal during election preparations, pushing its own candidates in several constituencies and prioritising party interests over cooperation, leaving allies limited space in the electoral process,” Gogoi said.
After the breakdown of talks, the dispute has turned into a direct contest in Dhing, where Raijor Dal has fielded Rahul Chetry while Congress has nominated Prateek Bordoloi. The episode reflects widening divisions within the opposition space in Assam, where efforts to build a united front against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party have often faced challenges over seat-sharing and local political dynamics.
Also Read: India Crushes New Zealand by 96 Runs for Record Third T20 World Cup Title
