Guwahati: The Congress has decided to temporarily pause discussions on a proposed electoral alliance with Raijor Dal for the 2026 Assam Legislative Assembly elections, Assam Pradesh Congress Committee President, Gaurav Gogoi said on Wednesday.
In a statement, Gogoi said the Congress had initially explored the possibility of an alliance with Raijor Dal in line with public expectations that opposition parties should contest the elections with a united strategy. However, despite several rounds of discussions, the two parties were unable to create a favourable environment to move forward with the proposed arrangement.
He said the central objective of any electoral alliance is to ensure practical considerations such as the winnability of seats. With this in mind, the Congress adopted a flexible approach during the negotiations and engaged in discussions on possible seat adjustments.
“However, for various reasons, both parties have not been able to build the alliance in the manner that the people had hoped for,” Gogoi said, adding that the Congress has decided to pause the talks with Raijor Dal for the time being. He also indicated that the possibility of an alliance could be revisited in the future.
The development comes at a time when opposition parties in Assam are exploring options to form a broader coalition to challenge the Bharatiya Janata Party-led ruling alliance in the 2026 Assembly elections.
Raijor Dal, founded by activist-turned-politician Akhil Gogoi in the aftermath of the anti-CAA movement, has emerged as a regional political force advocating issues related to land rights, indigenous identity and social justice in the state.
Efforts at opposition unity have gained momentum ahead of the polls, though negotiations over seat-sharing and political strategy continue to pose challenges in building a wider opposition front in Assam.