Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Guwahati: The Assam BJP says Congress has dumped its alliance with the Raijor Dal. They want Badruddin Ajmal and the AIUDF in their corner for the Nagaon Lok Sabha by-election. The BJP released a statement on September 4 claiming the original coalition, created for the 2026 assembly races, failed to catch on with voters.
Numbers prove the divide. The BJP-led alliance swept 102 of 126 assembly seats. Congress managed just 19. The BJP claims they won 33 of 35 seats in Upper Assam, 14 of 15 in North Assam, and 14 of 19 in Middle Assam. They call the split a natural consequence of voter rejection.
History repeats itself. The BJP pointed to the March 2020 Rajya Sabha vote where Ajit Kumar Bhuyan won thanks to Congress and AIUDF support. They allege a long-term covert pact between the two parties. They cite the 2019 Lok Sabha race where Congress allegedly ran a weak candidate in Dhubri to help Ajmal. In turn, the AIUDF skipped the race in 11 constituencies, including Nagaon, to help Congress.
Calculations drive this shift. Both parties fear splitting the minority Muslim vote. The BJP claims Congress is now desperate to climb onto the shoulders of Badruddin Ajmal to survive. Neither Congress nor the AIUDF has answered these claims.
Meanwhile, the political bloodletting continues. Raijor Dal MLA Akhil Gogoi launched a fresh attack on Congress MP Rakibul Hussain. He claims the MP’s wealth grew by 477 percent between 2016 and 2024. Gogoi says Hussain declared assets of Rs 4.38 crore in 2016. That figure hit Rs 25.29 crore in 2024.
That is an increase of Rs 20.91 crore under BJP rule. Gogoi challenged the public to pay attention to the shift. "During Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s tenure, listen to the untold story of the phenomenal rise in the assets of MP Rakibul," Gogoi said. Hussain, who won the Dhubri seat in 2024, has not replied to the accusations. These figures stem from election affidavits, though they do not prove illegal activity.
Updated at 4th September 2026 at 10:00pm
Hussain broke his silence on September 4, firing back at the Raijor Dal leader during an event in Bongaigaon's Jogighopa. He dismissed the attack as typical political spite and questioned whether Gogoi had any role in his long career, which includes a stint as a state minister.
"It is natural for him to be angry with me. I remained a minister and was in political life for 14-15 years. Did he make me win then?" Hussain asked. The MP also claimed that the Congress party previously built the political stage for Gogoi, asserting that while his party did the heavy lifting to organize rallies, Gogoi simply stepped up to the microphone.
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