Guwahati: Congress on Monday said it would not accept any proposal from other opposition parties for a seat-sharing deal for the 2026 Assam assembly election ahead of alliance talks, if any, with Asom Sonmilito Morcha (ASOM) — an alliance of about 15 anti-BJP parties in the state. Congress left ASOM during the recent bypolls when seat-sharing talks failed.
Sources indicated that regional parties within ASOM have particularly pushed for early preparations for the 2026 assembly polls, following their decisive defeat at the hands of BJP and NDA in the recently concluded five assembly bypolls.
Recently, Raijor Dal president Akhil Gogoi, a prominent leader of the ASOM alliance, explicitly said his party would consider collaboration with Congress only if the grand old party initiates a seat-sharing discussion promptly.
During Congress leader Sonia Gandhi's birthday celebrations in Lakhimpur district on Monday, Assam PCC president Bhupen Borah responded to queries on forming alliances that the party is currently planning strategies for the forthcoming panchayat election only.
"We are currently focused on the panchayat elections after which we will gauge public sentiment. We will discuss the preferences of the people (regarding an alliance with other parties)," Borah said.
The PCC president further said, "The bypolls encompassed merely five constituencies. The panchayat election will unfold people's preferences booth by booth and ward by ward. We will deliberate on the assembly election after analysing the outcomes of the panchayat election," he elaborated, showing no hurry for talks with ASOM.
Congress sources said Borah returned to Assam after consultations with the AICC senior leadership regarding Assam's political landscape and the bypoll defeats. The Congress high command demonstrated no immediacy towards coalition-building with other opposition parties and anti-BJP organisations in Assam, the sources said.
Talking to TOI on Monday on condition of anonymity, a senior Congress leader said, "The state PCC might authorise district and block level committees to collaborate with other anti-BJP parties in the upcoming panchayat polls (anticipated in February) if they desire. However, grassroots workers across most districts currently favour independent participation."