Assam: In what is being hailed as a major breakthrough for opposition unity, the Indian National Congress and the Akhil Gogoi-led Raijor Dal have finalized a seat-sharing agreement ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections; under this pact, the Congress has allotted 11 seats to its ally.
Under the terms of this agreement, the Raijor Dal will contest the elections from the seats of Sivasagar, Dalgon, Dhing, Sisi Borgaon, Digboi, Bokakhat, Manas, Tezpur, Kaliabor, Margherita, and Mariani. Additionally, the Golapara East and Gauripur seats have been designated as “friendly contest” seats, where both parties are expected to field their respective candidates.
This development comes shortly after a statement by Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) President and MP Gaurav Gogoi, in which he indicated that efforts to expand the opposition alliance were underway. The Congress is already in an alliance with the Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP), the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI-M], the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation [CPI-ML], and the All Party Hill Leaders Conference (APHLC). Emphasizing the need for a united opposition front, Gaurav Gogoi had previously stated that although time is short, discussions aimed at building a consensus are progressing. He also mentioned that the proposed agreement would be placed before the party’s central leadership for approval.
This alliance is being viewed as a strategic move to consolidate the anti-incumbency sentiment against the BJP government led by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, as opposition parties strive to forge a broad-based coalition ahead of the elections.
With the seat-sharing formula between the Congress and the Raijor Dal now all but finalized, the contours of the opposition alliance in Assam are becoming increasingly clear ahead of the polls.
