The issue of opposition unity is a topic of discussion ahead of the Assam Assembly elections. In this context, the Congress and its partner, the Raijor Dal-led Assam Sonmilita Morcha, held a crucial strategic meeting at a resort in Kaziranga. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss seat-sharing and cooperation for the upcoming elections. After the meeting, Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Gaurav Gogoi adopted a positive stance while speaking to the media, stating that dialogue between the two parties is ongoing. He said, “Today, I had a detailed discussion with Raijor Dal chief Akhil Gogoi. We also discussed his vision for Assam. The process between both sides regarding the elections is underway, and today’s meeting was positive.”
Akhil Gogoi also assured that the dialogue would continue.
Raijor Dal chief Akhil Gogoi also described the meeting as positive and said that discussions would continue. He stated that several issues were discussed in the meeting and that both parties are working together to formulate an election strategy. However, this meeting took place at a time when the Raijor Dal had given the Congress a deadline of January 31st to finalize the seat-sharing agreement. Intense discussions are underway among the opposition parties regarding seat-sharing, raising questions about the strength of the alliance.
Differences Emerge within Assam Sonmilita Morcha over Seat Sharing
According to reports, differences within the Assam Sonmilita Morcha are deepening over seat-sharing. The Congress has offered the Raijor Dal three assembly seats—Sivasagar, Sibsagar Gaon, and Manas—but this has caused discontent within the regional party. Raijor Dal general secretary Russel Hussain said that the Congress has offered some additional seats such as Baksa, Udalguri, Hojai, and Udharbond, where they do not have a strong presence. He described this proposal as surprising and said that offering seats where they have never contested seems somewhat coercive. He also stated that an internal meeting of the party has been called to decide on the future strategy. Questions arise over Raijor Dal’s commitment to opposition unity
Meanwhile, Raijor Dal’s working president, Bhaskar De Saikia, reiterated the party’s commitment to opposition unity on January 23. He stated that as the elections approach, the people of Assam want the opposition to unite and defeat the BJP. Their objective is to protect democracy and the constitution. However, internal problems within the largest opposition party are creating obstacles regarding seat-sharing. As the elections draw closer, the lack of agreement on seat-sharing between the Congress and Raijor Dal is increasing the uncertainty surrounding the alliance. Opposition unity now hinges on how these differences will be resolved in the coming days and whether the two parties will be able to contest the elections together as a united front.
