Congress pitches tie-up with Raijor Dal for Assam bypolls even as TMC courts Akhil Gogoi

In an intriguing move on Sunday, the Congress party approached Akhil Gogoi-led Raijor Dal to form an alliance for the upcoming by-election to 5 seats in Assam- Tamulpur, Gossaigaon, Mariani, Majuli, and Thowra. Founded after the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act agitation, Raijor Dal has contested the Assembly polls in an alliance with another regional party Assam Jatiya Parishad. Gogoi created history by becoming the first Assamese to win an election from behind the bars after trouncing BJP's Surabhi Rajkonwar with a margin of 11,875 votes. 

On July 1, he walked free after nearly 19 months of incarceration for his role in anti-CAA protests in Assam. Speaking to the media after the meeting with Raijor Dal leaders on Sunday evening, Assam Congress working president Rana Goswami stated, "We also spoke about forming an alliance for the upcoming Assembly by-elections. This is just a preliminary meeting and several more rounds will take place. The final decision of an alliance will be taken by the top state and central leaders". He added that the Sonia Gandhi-led party desired a relationship with Raijor Dal for the 2024 General Election as well as the 2026 Assembly polls. 

Congress' overture comes at a juncture when TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee reportedly offered Akhil Gogoi to lead her party's state unit in Assam. Expressing his desire to see Banerjee as the next PM, he described her as the "biggest face" of the resistance against BJP-RSS. He said, "Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee invited me to merge Raijor Dal with the Trinamool Congress. Work is underway to form an alliance of regional parties with Banerjee as the leader, to remove BJP from power at Centre in 2024". 

Assam Assembly polls

The 15-year tenure of Tarun Gogoi as the Chief Minister of Assam came to an end in the 2016 Assembly polls with BJP winning 86 seats as against 26 seats won by Congress. In a blow for BJP in the lead-up to the 2021 Assembly election, its ally Bodoland People's Front (BPF) decided to join the Congress-led alliance. While BJP is contested 92 seats, it allocated 26 and 8 seats to Asom Gana Parishad and the United People's Party Liberal respectively. On the other hand, Congress formed a grand alliance with BPF, AGM, AIUDF, CPI, CPI(M), CPI(ML), RJD, and JPP. 

However, the opposition tie-up proved to be no match for NDA as the latter managed to retain power in the state. As part of the ruling alliance, BJP, AGP, and UPPL won 60, 9, and 6 seats respectively. As far as Mahajot is concerned, Congress secured 29 seats followed by AIMIM, BPF, and CPI(M) whose candidates won in 16, 4, and 1 constituencies respectively. Most of the prominent candidates including CM Sarbananda Sonowal, Himanta Biswa Sarma, and AGP president Atul Bora won their seats with a convincing margin. However, Assam Congress chief Ripun Bora suffered a shock defeat in Gohpur.