Congress ends alliance with Raijor Dal over ‘breach of coalition ethics’

The Congress on Thursday severed its political ties with Akhil Gogoi-led Raijor Dal in Assam, stating its former ally had repeatedly violated coalition discipline through attacks on the party and its leadership.

The decision, taken on the directions of Assam Pradesh Congress Committee president Gaurav Gogoi, came into effect immediately. A circular signed by APCC general secretary (organisation) Ramanna Baruah was issued on Wednesday formalising the move.

Congress said it had joined hands with national Left parties and regional organisations, including Raijor Dal, to consolidate opposition forces against the BJP ahead of the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections. It maintained, however, that Raijor Dal failed to uphold the basic principles of the partnership.

“For a majority of this period, the leadership of Raijor Dal continuously engaged in malicious propaganda and character assassination against the Congress party, violating the norms and decorum of the coalition,” the party alleged.

There was no immediate response from the Raijor Dal leadership to the Congress announcement.

The decision marks the formal collapse of a partnership that had been strained by protracted seat-sharing negotiations before the 2026 Assam Assembly election and a bitter blame game following the alliance’s defeat.

Raijor Dal, which emerged from the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti movement and the protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, had previously aligned with the Assam Jatiya Parishad for the 2021 Assembly election rather than joining the Congress-led Mahajot. Akhil Gogoi won Sivasagar in that election, becoming Raijor Dal’s only legislator.

Ahead of the 2026 polls, the Congress under Gaurav Gogoi sought to build a broader opposition platform comprising Raijor Dal, the Assam Jatiya Parishad, CPI(M), CPI(ML), the All-Party Hill Leaders Conference and other smaller organisations.

Negotiations with Raijor Dal remained difficult. The regional party initially sought 27 constituencies, reduced its demand to 15 and eventually accepted an arrangement covering 13 seats. The talks came close to breaking down over constituencies such as Dhing, where Raijor Dal claimed a strong organisational presence.

Despite the differences, Congress revived the negotiations and signed a memorandum of understanding with Raijor Dal in Jorhat on 19 March. Under the agreement, Congress left 11 constituencies exclusively for the regional party and agreed to friendly contests in Goalpara East and Gauripur.

The constituencies ceded to Raijor Dal included Sivasagar, Dhing, Dalgaon, Sissiborgaon, Digboi, Bokakhat, Manas, Tezpur, Kaliabor, Margherita and Mariani. Akhil Gogoi subsequently declared that his party would work to make Gaurav Gogoi the next chief minister.

The electoral arrangement, however, failed to dislodge the BJP, which won 82 seats in the 126-member Assembly. Congress secured 19 seats, while Raijor Dal won two. Akhil Gogoi retained Sivasagar by 17,272 votes, and Mehboob Muktar won Dhing by 71,494 votes.

Congress had contested approximately 100 constituencies, while Raijor Dal fielded candidates in 13.

Relations deteriorated soon after the results, with Akhil Gogoi blaming Congress for what he described as a disorganised and half-hearted campaign. He also accused the party of marginalising Raijor Dal during the election.

The confrontation intensified when Akhil Gogoi demanded Gaurav Gogoi’s resignation as state Congress president, holding him responsible for the opposition’s defeat.

By ending the alliance, Congress has signalled that cooperation among opposition parties cannot continue without mutual respect and adherence to collective discipline.

Its statement suggests that the party views Raijor Dal’s repeated public attacks as incompatible with the responsibilities of an electoral partner, particularly after Congress accommodated the regional outfit during contentious seat-sharing negotiations.

With PTI inputs