congress-to-fight-100-seats-allies-get-26-gaurav-gogoi

The Indian National Congress will contest nearly 100 seats in the upcoming Assam Assembly elections, leaving 26 constituencies for alliance partners as part of a broader opposition strategy, Assam Pradesh Congress Committee chief Gaurav Gogoi said on Saturday.

With polling scheduled for April 9, Gogoi said the party has finalised its seat-sharing framework aimed at consolidating anti-incumbency votes against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

“Congress has prepared to contest in almost 100 seats. We have allocated 26 seats to our alliance partners, and in two of these constituencies, there will be a friendly contest,” Gogoi said while addressing the media.

The Congress leader said the arrangement reflects a calibrated electoral strategy that balances the party’s organisational strength with the need to accommodate allies. The provision for “friendly contests” in two constituencies indicates a flexible approach within the alliance framework.

He noted that the objective is to ensure a united opposition front while maximising the reach of each partner in their respective strongholds.

Also read: Rivals regroup as Assam gears up for April 9 polls

Gogoi asserted that the coming together of opposition parties has altered the political landscape in Assam, putting pressure on the BJP ahead of the polls.

“The BJP is feeling pressured and apprehensive. They did not anticipate that opposition parties would unite and present a cohesive challenge in the 2026 Assembly elections,” he said.

According to him, the ruling party’s earlier electoral calculations are now undergoing a “massive change” as opposition forces align.

Emphasising the rationale behind the alliance, Gogoi said the move reflects the aspirations of the people of Assam.

“This is what the people of Assam wished for, and we have decided to honour that by building a united opposition,” he said. The Congress is seeking to leverage anti-incumbency sentiment while presenting a coordinated challenge to the BJP. With the campaign gathering pace, both the ruling party and the opposition alliance are expected to intensify their outreach across constituencies in the run-up to polling day.