Fresh jolt to Congress as West Goalpara MLA switches to Raijor Dal

Guwahati, Feb 16: Amid a series of exits from the Congress ahead of the 2026 Assam Assembly elections, West Goalpara MLA Abdur Rashid Mandal, on Monday, resigned as a Congress legislator and formally joined Raijor Dal.

The development came hours after former Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Bhupen Kumar Borah submitted his resignation letter, a move later claimed to have been withdrawn by AICC general secretary in-charge of Assam, Jitendra Singh.

Mandal, a three-time MLA from Goalpara West, joined the regional party in the presence of Raijor Dal president Akhil Gogoi. Dulal Baruah, chief adviser of the Tai Ahom Students’ Union, also joined the party on the occasion.

Explaining his exit from the Congress, Mandal said he felt sidelined within the party.

“As a Congress MLA, I felt like an unemployed person within the party. I did not get the opportunity to work for the people. That is why I have come to Raijor Dal to work as a labourer for the people,” he said.

Baruah, meanwhile, said he had been socially associated with the newly formed Sivasagar constituency for the past 22 years and joined Raijor Dal to safeguard community interests.

Addressing party workers, Akhil Gogoi claimed that more legislators are in contact with Raijor Dal.

“Within the coming week, two BJP MLAs from Upper Assam will join Raijor Dal. The process has been slow as the seat-sharing arrangement with Congress has not yet been finalised,” he said.

Gogoi further claimed that one AGP MLA and five AIUDF legislators have also been in touch regarding a possible switch, though no decision has been taken.

“If we wish, even 10 AIUDF MLAs can join Raijor Dal today,” he said, adding that the party would induct only those with strong electoral prospects.

He said Raijor Dal, which had one MLA after the 2021 Assembly polls, is targeting 10 to 15 seats in 2026. “In 2031, Raijor Dal will form the government,” Gogoi asserted, adding that Sherman Ali Ahmed would join the party at Kalagachia on Tuesday.

On alliance negotiations, Gogoi said Raijor Dal has sought 15 constituencies in its seat-sharing talks with the Congress and has formally submitted the list.

“Out of the 15 seats we have demanded, the Congress has agreed to give us 12 seats. The remaining three constituencies will be decided by them,” he said.

Referring to Bhupen Borah’s resignation episode, Gogoi maintained that Borah would not join the BJP and urged the Congress leadership to “give him a little more space and not do anything which would harm his dignity.”

“If Bhupen Bora asks me to contest in five seats, I will contest in all five. I will once again visit Bhupen Bora at his residence,” he said.

Gogoi also criticised Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, accusing him of attempting to draw leaders from other parties instead of focusing on his own.

“We are opposition leaders. We have become MLAs to politically challenge and confront Himanta Biswa Sarma head-on,” he said