Titabor: In what could mark a significant political realignment ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections, former president of the Assam Tea Tribes Students' Association (ATTSA), Dhiraj Gowala, is reportedly preparing to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) next month.
According to sources, Gowala’s induction into the ruling party is expected to take place in November, as part of a broader strategy to strengthen the BJP’s foothold among Assam’s influential tea-tribe community.
Speculation about Gowala’s political shift intensified after he held a closed-door meeting on Sunday night with Assam Cabinet Minister Pijush Hazarika and Union Minister Pabitra Margherita at the Tea Tribe Students’ Hostel in Titabor. The meeting has fueled discussions that Gowala may be eyeing the Titabor constituency, once a Congress stronghold under the late Tarun Gogoi, but now viewed as a key battleground in the upcoming elections.
Sources indicate that Gowala, along with hundreds of his supporters, is seeking to join the BJP to consolidate political influence within the tea-tribe population across Upper Assam — a community long regarded as a crucial voting bloc in the state’s politics.
When approached by the media, Gowala neither confirmed nor denied the reports of his possible switch. He maintained that certain internal procedures within ATTSA must be completed before making any formal announcement. He also stated that his recent meeting with BJP leaders focused on the issues and challenges faced by the tea-tribe community, during which he submitted several memoranda outlining key demands.
If confirmed, Gowala’s entry into the BJP could reshape political equations in Upper Assam and further consolidate the ruling party’s position ahead of the 2026 polls.