Assam Elections 2026: As Oppn Parties Seek 'Respectable' Seat-Sharing, Congress Says Decision After Surveys
Ahead of assembly polls in Assam, Congress is banking on surveys to finalise the Opposition alliance and seat sharing arrangement with the allies.
Published : December 19, 2025 at 4:07 PM IST
Guwahati: With the assembly elections in Assam inching closer, Congress is relying on detailed surveys to gauge alliance prospects and finalise seat-sharing with allies to counter the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). However, unlike previous polls where AIUDF and BPF were key partners, this time both are out of the Opposition camp, seemingly making the coalition-building process more complex and tense for the Congress.
Amid confusion over seat-sharing agreements in the total 126 assembly segments in the state, the Congress unit in Assam said formation of a united anti-BJP front would only be cemented after a thorough analysis of the findings of professional agency surveys.
While opposition parties have met several times under the leadership of the Congress, the final picture of an anti-BJP "Grand Alliance" for 2026 polls is still uncertain. The delay in finalising seats has left potential partners visibly worried.
President of Raijor Dal, MLA Akhil Gogoi has been pushing Congress to seal the seat-sharing deal as soon as possible, stating that it will allow the opposition to run effectively against the BJP. "There is no doubt we will fight together, but we need to know who is competing where as early as possible," Gogoi said.
President Lurinjyoti Gogoi has reiterated the 'respectable' seat-sharing arrangement. "Each party must act with a sense of sacrifice and mutual respect, so as to prevent an erosion of the vote of anti-incumbency," he said.
On the possible 'Grand Alliance', CPI(M) MLA Manoranjan Talukdar noted that there were already bilateral talks with Congress. He claimed the opposition is more organised today than the NDA in Assam regarding alliance.
On the other hand, senior Congress leader and Chairman of the Election Management Committee of Assam Congress, APCC ex-president Ripun Bora, said that the party will not be hurried by public statements coming from friends' parties. "We are not doing this for one individual or one party," he said.
"We are doing in-depth research with professional agencies. And these surveys are not only for Congress; they are assessing candidates' winning potential in our possible alliance partners," Bora said.
In response to Akhil Gogoi's urgent calls, Bora said that while the party understands Gogoi's urgency around his desire to defeat the BJP, the final decision is based on the survey reports. "Once the research is over, we will sit down and settle on who we will pitch in the 2026 Assam poll," he said.
In the previous elections, All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) and Bodoland People's Front (BPF) were key constituents of the Congress-led alliance. For 2026, both parties are no longer with the grand old party. Congress leader Ripun Bora said AIUDF (indirectly) and BPF have since been perceived as being aligned with the BJP's agenda and therefore not currently on the Opposition side.
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