Guwahati: The Congress, once the dominant political force in Assam and the principal opposition in the state, has failed to field a candidate for the Rajya Sabha elections this year, marking a rare moment in the state’s political history.
The development has effectively cleared the way for the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to secure all three seats from Assam without a contest, underlining the changing political arithmetic in the state.
The three NDA candidates — BJP leaders Jogen Mohan and Terash Gowalla along with United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL) chief Pramod Boro — filed their nomination papers in Guwahati on the last day of filing.
With no opposition candidate entering the race, their election to the Upper House of Parliament has become a mere formality.
The absence of a Congress candidate is particularly striking given the party’s historical presence in Assam’s representation in the Rajya Sabha.
Political observers say this may be the first time in decades that the “grand old party,” despite being the largest opposition force in the state assembly, has been unable to cobble together the numbers or consensus required to put up a nominee.
The development also exposed deep divisions among opposition parties. Leaders of the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) alleged that they had sought Congress support to field party chief Badruddin Ajmal for the third seat but did not receive backing.
According to AIUDF legislators, the lack of coordination among opposition parties ultimately handed the ruling alliance a free run in the election.
For the BJP and its allies, the uncontested election reflects their dominance in the Assam Assembly.
BJP leaders were quick to point out that even a symbolic contest for the third seat could have been mounted if the opposition had been able to unite.
Instead, the failure to field a candidate has led ruling party leaders to claim that the opposition in Assam exists more in rhetoric than in political reality.
The situation stands in stark contrast to Assam’s political past when Congress regularly sent some of the state’s most influential leaders to the Rajya Sabha.
Over the decades, the Upper House has served as a platform for several prominent political figures from Assam who played significant roles both in the state and at the national level.
Among the most notable was Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, a senior Congress leader from Assam who later became the President of India. The state has also been represented by Bhubaneswar Kalita, a veteran Congress leader who served multiple terms in the Rajya Sabha before switching political allegiance in 2019.
Leaders like Ripun Bora and Ranee Narah in more recent years continued the tradition of Congress representation from Assam in the Upper House.
The Rajya Sabha has historically provided Assam with an avenue to send experienced politicians and regional voices to the national stage, often enabling leaders who were not part of the Lok Sabha to shape debates on federalism, development and the Northeast’s political concerns.
However, the political landscape of Assam has undergone a dramatic shift over the past decade. Since the BJP came to power in the state in 2016 and consolidated its position in subsequent elections, the Congress has steadily lost ground in the assembly. The ruling alliance’s strong numbers now make it difficult for the opposition to secure a Rajya Sabha seat without a broad coalition.
This year’s uncontested election therefore represents more than just a routine parliamentary exercise. It highlights the widening gap between the ruling alliance and the opposition in Assam’s legislative politics.
For Congress, the failure to even enter the fray in the Rajya Sabha polls serves as a stark reminder of how far the party’s fortunes in the state have declined — from dominating Assam’s political landscape and sending its stalwarts to the Upper House to struggling to gather enough support to mount a challenge.