Gogoi accuses Assam govt of enrolling outsiders to influence 2026 polls

Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi on Wednesday launched a sharp and stinging attack on chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, alleging that the state government was engaged in a covert, carefully crafted effort to manipulate the voter base ahead of the 2026 assembly elections.

Addressing a gathering in Dhubri, Gogoi painted a dramatic picture of a chief minister “who has become the BJP’s heaviest burden,” alleging that Sarma was “desperately attempting to swell Assam’s voters list with names imported from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar”. Such moves, he warned, were nothing less than an effort to tilt the scales of democracy in favour of the ruling party.

His remarks come at a time when the Election Commission has initiated a special summary revision of electoral rolls, using 1 January 2026 as the qualifying date — a process expected to polish, prune and perfect the rolls ahead of the crucial polls.

Calling for unwavering vigilance, Gogoi urged political parties, civil society groups and media organisations to ensure that “no outsider is allowed to distort Assam’s sacred electoral mandate”. He insisted that the Congress was preparing not just to increase its tally but to reclaim the reins of governance and protect the rights and aspirations of the people of Assam.

Turning up the heat further, Gogoi asserted that chief minister Sarma was now “in serious political trouble”, alleging that he had reached out to AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal and hinting that AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi might soon be drafted into the battlefield to shore up the chief minister’s prospects.

Striking a note of confidence, Gogoi said the Opposition was far more synchronised and determined this time. The Congress-led alliance, he claimed, was gaining momentum with eight parties — Congress, CPI, CPI(M), CPI(ML), Raijor Dal, Assam Jatiya Parishad, Jatiya Dal–Asom and the All Party Hill Leaders Conference — already committed to marching together into the 2026 contest.

With a flourish, he declared that the Opposition bloc stood “more united, more prepared, and more resolute than ever”, ready to present a formidable alternative when Assam goes to the polls next year.

With IANS inputs