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Eye On 2026 Polls, Congress Launches Campaign To Flag People’s Issues Ahead Of Assam Contest

The grand old party hopes that the outreach program will revive Congress Assam, which is currently ruled by the BJP.

Eye On 2026 Polls, Congress Launches Campaign To Flag People’s Issues Ahead Of Assam Contest
Representational image (ETV Bharat)

By Amit Agnihotri

Published : Feb 12, 2025, 4:03 PM IST

New Delhi:The Congress has launched a statewide campaign to flag people's issues in poll-bound Assam where it plans to take on the ruling BJP.

Assembly elections in the northeastern state will be held in 2026 in which the grand old party is determined to defeat the BJP which has been in power since 2016. To be able to do that the Congress decided to conduct a door-to-door campaign where leaders will flag the everyday concerns of the voters as well as remind them of the unkept promises of the saffron party. The drive has been started from Tinsukia in Dibrugarh and is being led by state unit chief Bhupen Kumar Borah.

Simultaneously, the Congress is focusing on revamping the organisation at the block level and is using the 'Save Constitution' marches to mobilise local support.

"The people are in distress. The drug menace coupled with high unemployment among youth is a major concern for the locals. There is a law and order issue as well. Another problem being faced by the people is the new smart meters which have led to inflated electricity bills," All India Congress Committee (AICC) secretary in charge of Assam Manoj Chauhan told ETV Bharat.

However, the crucial issue of forging an alliance with other like-minded parties to defeat the BJP will be taken by the high command, the AICC functionary, who has been touring the northeastern state over the past few months, said.

"Our campaign is clearly focused on the 2026 assembly polls in which the Congress will return to power. When you meet the locals, you can sense their desperation. The BJP has been making a lot of development claims but the reality is different," said Chauhan.

According to the state unit chief Borah, a lot of people are coming forward to list their problems as Congress has started listening to them. "Voters are voicing their concerns in the program reaching out to common people. We started the drive from Margherita and will cover the entire state," Borah told ETV Bharat.

"In a democracy, the people have the power to elect a government and if their concerns are ignored the people can discard the same as well," he said. While the Congress managers sound enthusiastic about the next assembly elections, strengthening the organisation had been a concern with the AICC.

"We recently conducted the 'Save Constitution' marches in the blocks to make our presence felt among the voters and energise the party workers. The work of plugging gaps in the organisation is also going on," said Chauhan.

Soon after the 2021 poll loss, several Congress leaders had left the party to join the BJP but the state unit leaders claimed things are changing. Last year, senior leader Ripun Bora who had joined the Trinamool Congress earlier returned to the grand old party.

Borah said he is keen to defeat the BJP which plays divisive politics but hinted no statewide pact may be formed. For the organisational revamp, district-wise committees are being consulted to empower the workers, he said, adding the immediate focus was the local body elections.

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