Gaurav Gogoi rallies Congress cadre in Assam, accuses BJP of ‘undeclared emergency’

Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) President Gaurav Gogoi on Thursday asserted that the Congress party in Assam is currently “racing against time” to reorganise and revitalise itself in preparation for the upcoming electoral battles.

Speaking to a select group of journalists in Guwahati, Gogoi emphasised that the last one month has been crucial in laying the groundwork for the party’s resurgence in the state.

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“Over the past few weeks, we have worked tirelessly to revive the party’s structure across Assam. This has not been a president-centric initiative — the effort has been collective,” Gogoi said.

“We appointed 88 observers to assess the situation in the 126 Assembly constituencies, and they have submitted detailed ground reports that are now guiding our strategy going forward.”

Gogoi, who recently took charge as APCC president, appeared confident of the party’s revival prospects. He pointed out that the nervous reactions from the ruling BJP were signs of the Congress’s growing popularity in the state. “The BJP’s early responses to our activities show that they are rattled. It’s clear that people are beginning to see Congress as a viable alternative again,” he remarked.

Laying out the party’s roadmap, Gogoi said that the Congress plans to contest all 126 Assembly seats in the state. “In principle, we are preparing to fight from every constituency. But it is not just about contesting — we must win convincingly. That is the real challenge before us,” he said.

One of the key issues Gogoi intends to target the BJP government on is the alleged manipulation of the electoral rolls. Referring to the recently concluded panchayat elections in the state, he claimed that many genuine voters found their names missing from the voters’ list. “This is a dangerous trend that undermines democracy. We are collecting evidence and will take this issue to the people,” he warned.

Escalating his criticism, Gogoi accused both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma of imposing what he termed an “undeclared emergency” on the country and the state. “There is a creeping authoritarianism — an undeclared emergency — under Prime Minister Modi at the national level, and a similar autocratic governance under Himanta Biswa Sarma in Assam. Dissent is stifled, opposition is intimidated, and democratic institutions are being systematically weakened,” he said.

He also called upon Congress workers and supporters to rededicate themselves to the ideals of democracy and secularism, urging unity and discipline within the party ranks. “This is a critical moment for Assam and India. The Congress must become the voice of the people and stand as a bulwark against authoritarian rule,” he concluded.