Gaurav Gogoi has a battle forward in polarised Assam
Whereas Gogoi’s name for unity and his tirade in opposition to Sarma have been anticipated, his go to to the Siva Doul might sign a shift within the Congress’s evolving technique, particularly in mild of allegations that the social gathering has been detached to studies of encroachment of namghars and satras, that are integral to rural Assam’s socio-cultural panorama.
Whereas corruption and improvement points might characteristic excessive on the checklist of the Congress’s speaking factors, multiple social gathering chief mentioned the social gathering has to develop an “efficient counter-narrative” to fight Sarma’s tactical polarisation of the citizens. “It’s a fable that the Muslims of Assam vote for the Congress en bloc (as Sarma has assiduously propagated),” mentioned Congress chief Hafiz Rashid Choudhury.
Previously an AIUDF chief, Choudhury steered that the declining affect of the AIUDF in Decrease Assam and the Barak Valley, and of the AGP in Higher Assam, may work within the Congress’s favour. “Gogoi gained the MP election from Jorhat even after delimitation of his constituency,” he mentioned.
In actual fact, with the AGP nearly worn out, the Congress elevated its vote share by 10.5 per cent. However anti-incumbency, restive allies and allegations of corruption should not the one bugbears for Himanta’s BJP. “Former chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal’s re-entry into state politics is one other subject Sarma should tackle,” mentioned a distinguished Assamese journalist, stating that Sonowal was already participating with the BJP’s booth-level employees.
The BJP’s efficiency may even rely on how Sarma works out the ticket distribution. The Congress should shut ranks and work on a easy however credible narrative. A united and vigorous marketing campaign, a message of hope and a concrete plan for a greater Assam will do the trick, say Congress employees. The social gathering, they imagine, additionally must sew strategic alliances and domesticate the varied ethnic and tribal teams whose politics in the present day is extra transactional than ideological. As issues stand, it is probably not a cakewalk for the BJP in Assam.
Whereas the BJP and its allies are firmly entrenched within the zilla parishad and gram panchayats, the numbers solely inform a partial story. In Assam, roughly 49 per cent of the inhabitants resides in areas ruled by autonomous tribal district councils fashioned below the Structure’s Sixth Schedule. This interprets to roughly 17 lakh individuals. No panchayat elections are held in these areas; however they do take part in meeting elections.
