Assam Congress Ends Alliance with Raijor Dal Amid Criticism
Political Split in Assam
Happy times: File image of Akhil Gogoi & Gaurav Gogoi during a meeting in Kaziranga. (Photo: Akhil Gogoi/Meta)
Guwahati, Sept 3: The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) has officially severed its political ties with Raijor Dal, citing breaches of alliance ethics by the party's leadership.
This decision, effective immediately, was announced by APCC president and Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Gaurav Gogoi, through an organizational circular released on Thursday.
Wazid Ali Choudhury, the Leader of the Opposition in the Assam Assembly, clarified that this move was not abrupt but rather a response to ongoing criticisms directed at Congress by Raijor Dal's chief, Akhil Gogoi.
“Akhil Gogoi has been persistently criticizing our party and its leaders. We grew weary of his alliance with us while simultaneously attacking us. The high command has now opted to dissolve the alliance, which is not a sudden decision; it has been brewing for some time,” Choudhury stated.
The circular indicated that Congress had previously formed an electoral coalition with various regional and Left parties, including Raijor Dal, prior to the last Lok Sabha and Assembly elections.
“The alliance aimed to create a united opposition front and convey a strong message against communal forces,” the circular elaborated.
However, Congress accused Raijor Dal's leadership of engaging in “malicious propaganda” and “character assassination” against them, which breached the expected conduct of alliance partners.
Additionally, they claimed that Raijor Dal leaders made “baseless, unwarranted, and derogatory” comments about leaders from other opposition parties.
Choudhury mentioned that while Congress had tolerated the criticisms for a significant period, they ultimately determined that the alliance was no longer sustainable.
The APCC's circular concluded that the behavior of Raijor Dal's leadership rendered it impossible to maintain political relations, thus formally announcing the end of the alliance.
Despite this division, Congress affirmed its commitment to continue addressing public issues and fulfilling its political responsibilities.