Guwahati: At least four anti-BJP regional parties in Assam have started talks for merger to contest the Assembly elections in 2026 together with Congress.
Akhil Gogoi, who heads Raijor Dal, one such party, told reporters in Guwahati on Wednesday that a meeting of three major regional parties with Congress held on Tuesday also decided to fight the 2026 Assembly elections together with Congress.
The meeting was attended by Gogoi, Lurinjyoti Gogoi of Asom Jatiya Parishad (AJP) and Ajit Kumar Bhuyan of Asom Jatiya Dal.
"Two important decisions were taken in the meeting. First, we decided to carry forward our alliance with Congress and fight the Assembly elections together in 2026. Secondly, we decided to form an umbrella organisation of the anti-BJP regional parties in order to ensure that regional interests of Assam and the indigenous people are not hampered even after Congress forms a government, both at the Centre and in Assam," Akhil said. "Some other small regional parties representing various ethnic communities will also be encouraged to be part of this umbrella organization."
Akhil, who is an MLA from Sivasagar Assembly constituency, further said that discussion was also held to explore possibility for merger of the three regional parties, AJP, Raijor Dal and Asom Jatiya Dal ahead of the 2026 polls.
Lok Sabha polls
The three parties had contested the Lok Sabha polls together with Congress in Assam. While Congress candidates contested in 13 out of 14 seats, AJP president Lurinjyoti Gogoi was fileded as the Opposition candidate in Dibrugarh Lok Sabha seat. Gogoi contested against Union Minister and former Assam CM, Sarbananda Sonowal of BJP.
"There was tremendous support from the people for the Opposition unity in the Lok Sabha elections. We want to keep this momentum going to defeat BJP and its allies in the 2016 polls," Akhil said.
Akhil also exuded confidence that Congress-led I.N.DI.A. bloc in Assam would win in at least six seats.
"Sonowal will also lose. The indigenous people voted against BJP as the party acted against the interests of the indigenous communities by implementing the CAA. The youths are also with us as BJP failed to provide them employment," Akhil said.
Left parties, AAP and Trinamool Congress, however, contested the Lok Sabha polls separately despite efforts to take them on board.
BJP, on the other hand, contested in 11 seats and supported two candidates belonging to its ally Asom Gana Parishad in Barpeta and Dhubri. The party also supported Jayanto Basumatary of United People's Party Liberal, another ally, in the ST-reserved Kokrajhar seat.
CM Himanta Biswa Sarma said BJP and its allies would win in 12 seats. In 2019 Lok Sabha polls, BJP had won nine seats, Congress bagged three and Badruddin Ajmal of AIUDF won in Dhubri for the third straight term.
Naba Kumar Sarania, a former Ulfa "commander" won the Kokrajhar seat for the second term.
Sarania, however, could not contest the elections in Kokrajhar this time as his ST certificate was cancelled by Gauhati High Court ahead of the polls. He later contested in Bihar's Valmikinagar as an Independent candidate.