Silchar, Jan 29: Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Gaurav Gogoi on Wednesday launched the Congress party’s election campaign in Barak Valley, stating that the coming polls would be a decisive political contest and expressing confidence that the Congress would form the next government in Assam.

Addressing a regional Congress meeting in Cachar district, Gogoi paid tribute to former Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi, recalling his role in advocating sub-divisional status for Katigorah Mouza, safeguarding citizenship rights of voters listed up to 2014, and strengthening political representation in Barak Valley. He said Tarun Gogoi had also consulted senior leaders, including Santosh Mohan Dev and Ajit Singh, on issues related to the region’s development.

Gogoi criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led state government under chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, alleging that Barak Valley had witnessed limited development. He raised issues related to railway connectivity, national highways, shortages of doctors in health centres, closure of schools in tea garden areas, and the status of language martyrs. He also questioned the implementation of welfare schemes, including the Jal Jeevan Mission, and raised concerns over unresolved issues linked to D-voters, the National Register of Citizens (NRC), and the public distribution system.

Referring to recent Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) elections, Gogoi said the results reflected voter dissatisfaction in certain sections. He also alleged that sections of Bengali-speaking residents were being wrongly labelled as foreigners, citing incidents from Karimganj district.

Targeting chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Gogoi levelled allegations related to land ownership and business interests involving the chief minister’s family, stating that the Congress would make such information public through a dedicated platform. He said the party would take action in accordance with the law if it came to power.

Gogoi further stated that Congress workers across Upper Assam, Lower Assam, and Barak Valley would intensify organisational activities, including wall-writing and outreach at the mandal level, in the run-up to the elections. He said the party aimed to regain Assembly seats lost in previous elections and address pending issues related to NRC and citizenship.

Congress observer Bandhu Tirkey, AICC in-charge Vikas Upadhyay, Youth Congress observer Mitendra Darshan Singh, and Dhubri MP Rakibul Hussain were also present at the meeting. The leaders called on party workers to remain united and strengthen the organisation ahead of the elections.