Congress Outlines Election Strategy for Assam Assembly Polls
As the Assam Assembly elections approach, the Congress party has revealed its plan to contest 100 out of 126 seats, collaborating with smaller parties to challenge the BJP. Gaurav Gogoi, the state party president, emphasized the need for a united front against the ruling party and dismissed any potential alliance with the AIUDF. With a significant portion of the electorate being Muslim, the dynamics of the election are crucial, especially as the AIUDF's influence wanes. Congress aims to introduce strict laws against religious hatred if they regain power. Read on for more insights into their election strategy.
| Jan 1, 2026, 16:03 IST
Congress Sets Election Seat Strategy Ahead of Assam Assembly Elections
With three months remaining before the Assam Assembly elections, the Congress party has clarified its strategy regarding the number of seats it will contest. This marks a positive development for the party, especially in contrast to Bihar, where it struggled for months to finalize a seat-sharing agreement and balance its alliance with the influential Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). Congress has announced its intention to contest 100 out of the 126 seats in Assam, leaving the remaining seats to be shared with its smaller coalition partners.
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Gaurav Gogoi, the president of Assam Congress, stated that the party will collaborate with like-minded parties to defeat the anti-people BJP in the assembly elections. He confirmed that Congress will field candidates in 100 constituencies, while the remaining seats will be allocated to coalition partners. Gogoi, who serves as the deputy leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha, labeled the AIUDF as a 'communal' party and ruled out any alliance with them.
The AIUDF, which has a strong base among Bengali-speaking Muslims, won 10 assembly seats in 2006, 18 in 2011, 13 in 2016, and 16 in 2021, as Congress lost a significant portion of Muslim votes to them. However, the AIUDF's support has been declining, and it failed to secure any seats in the 2024 national elections, with its leader, Badruddin Ajmal, losing his seat after three terms. Muslims constitute 34% of Assam's total population.
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Congress has allied with seven smaller parties, including the Ethnic Party-Assam (JDA), Communist Party of India (Marxist), Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP), Raijor Dal, Communist Party of India (CPI), CPI (ML), and the All Party Hill Leaders Conference (APHLC) based in Karbi Anglong, to contest the assembly elections on a united platform. Gaurav Gogoi announced the party's seat strategy during an event in Tezpur commemorating the 141st foundation day of the Indian National Congress. He also mentioned that if Congress comes to power in the state, they will introduce a specific law to take strict action against those spreading religious hatred.