Congress launches public outreach to shape inclusive ‘Bor Asom’ manifesto for Assam ahead of 2025 polls

The Congress on Saturday unveiled a state-wide outreach initiative to gather public inputs for its manifesto centred on the idea of ‘Bor Asom’ — a vision of an inclusive, greater Assam representing all communities.

The exercise, announced by Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi, aims to craft a roadmap that reflects the aspirations of youth, government employees and diverse social groups ahead of the assembly elections due next year. Gogoi said similar outreach programmes will be undertaken by other opposition parties, in line with a decision taken at a recent inter-party discussion.

Addressing a press conference in Guwahati, Gogoi said opposition parties had concluded that merely criticising the government was inadequate.

“We had held a discussion with other opposition parties and it was opined that only criticising the government would not suffice. We have to reach out to the people to understand how today's youth, various communities, government employees and all sections envisage Assam,” he said.

In keeping with the collective agreement, he added, all opposition parties would engage the public over the coming weeks, culminating in a proposed convention in January to articulate a shared vision for Bor Asom.

Gogoi, who is also the Congress’ deputy leader in the Lok Sabha, said the party has a long tradition of consulting citizens before designing welfare schemes or legislative frameworks.

He cited national-level laws such as the RTI (Right to Information), RTE (Right to Education) and MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act), which he said were drafted after broad-based public discussions. Recalling the tenure of former Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, he said the Congress government in 2001 had inherited an economic crisis and a fragile law-and-order situation but shaped its revival strategy through extensive engagement with the people.

The Assam Congress chief contrasted this approach with what he termed the present government’s centralised style. “Now, whatever the ‘raja’ in Dispur feels, he does it. We don’t want to be like a ‘raja’, we want to be ‘raijor sevak’ (servants of the people). From a ‘divided Asom’, we will lead to a ‘Bor Asom’,” he said.

Gogoi said the organisation was simultaneously working on strengthening its grassroots presence through the ‘Raijor Podulit, Raijor Congress’ campaign launched last month, under which medical camps were conducted in tea estates.

Pradyut Bordoloi, Lok Sabha MP and head of the party’s manifesto committee, said the document would not be limited to the upcoming state polls. “It is to prepare a document with a roadmap for the future where all sections are taken into confidence so that the aspirations of the Assamese people are reflected in it,” he said.

Asked whether other opposition parties would consider a common manifesto, Bordoloi said that if an alliance is formed, a common minimum programme could be drawn up.