Will contest in all 40 BTC constituencies: APCC President Gaurav Gogoi

OUR CORRESPONDENT

MANGALDAI: “The Congress High Command has entrusted me with the significant responsibility of leading the Assam Pradesh Congress with great faith and confidence. It is my duty and responsibility to carry out this role with sincerity. Since taking charge, I have visited districts to assess the party’s situation, met with veteran party workers, and sought advice from prominent citizens, senior journalists, and leaders of various organizations. I am highly satisfied with the response from the public,” said Gaurav Gogoi, President of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee and Member of Parliament, during an intimate interaction with senior journalists in Mangaldai on Sunday morning.

The event, held at 10 AM at Circuit House, saw him addressing a question about alliances, stating, “At this moment, alliances are not the primary focus. Beyond this, we are prioritizing taking issues, like unemployment, farmers’ problems, flood, and erosion issues, the failures of the BJP-led government, and various scams, to the public. Additionally, we are emphasizing on strengthening the party’s organizational base. To this end, we have appointed 88 observers to gain comprehensive insights into the party’s standing in various constituencies. Our future programmes will be planned based on their reports, as time is limited.”

Indicating a full-fledged participation in the BTC elections, he said, “We will field candidates in all 40 constituencies. We have not yet discussed alliances with any party regarding the BTC elections.” He expressed astonishment at the BTC administration’s failure to provide land pattas to the people while allocating thousands of bighas of land to Adani, a close associate of Prime Minister Modi, and said, “We will contest the BTC elections keeping this issue in focus.” Alleging that under the Chief Minister’s patronage, all contracts in Assam are currently awarded to just four or five contractors, he remarked, “The condition of ordinary contractors is like a duck that cannot swim in water.”

Regarding the upcoming Assembly elections, he clarified that there was no distinction between Upper and Lower Assam, stating, “We will seek the blessings of the entire populace of Assam.” He reiterated that corruption, malpractices, and syndicate rule under the current government will be key issues.

Claiming that the Prime Minister is already aware of Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma’s misdeeds, he made a significant remark and said, “In 2026, the BJP will have to contest the elections with Sarbananda Sonowal at the forefront, not Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma.” Addressing the Chief Minister’s remarks about making his alleged ties with Pakistan public, Gogoi said, “Since the delimitation and the Jorhat Lok Sabha elections, the Chief Minister has been spreading fictitious propaganda against me. As a result, the Congress central leadership and the people of Assam have realized that Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma does not want me to remain in Assam’s politics. Contrary to his expectations, this has only increased my relevance in state politics, leading the Congress central leadership to entrust me with the significant responsibility of state Congress President. Therefore, Dr Sarma has played a crucial role in my appointment as the state Congress President, and I express my gratitude to him for it.”

In his first visit to Darrang district since taking over as the state Congress President, Gogoi on Saturday evening met the senior citizens besides party activists. On Sunday, he also attended a largely-attended workers’ meet at District Library Auditorium and offered a floral tribute on the portrait of Swahid Kushal Konwar, the first martyr of India hanged by the British in Quit India Movement.

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