GUWAHATI/NEW DELHI: The Congress in Assam is facing a serious crisis just weeks before the April 9 Assembly elections. The problems in the state also reflect a larger trend, as the party struggles with defections, internal disagreements, and organisational issues in several parts of the country. Across states, leaders leaving the party and ongoing internal tensions have weakened its morale and raised concerns about its readiness for the upcoming elections.
In Assam, the party has suffered a double blow with the exits of two prominent leaders. Former state Congress president Bhupen Kumar Borah resigned last month, followed by Nagaon MP Pradyut Bordoloi, who ended his three-decade-long association with the party to join the BJP.
Bordoloi’s decision is believed to have been influenced by dissatisfaction over candidate selection in the Laharighat constituency, highlighting internal rifts that continue to trouble the party.
These departures have come at a crucial time, when Congress was hoping to rebuild its position in a state it once dominated. The party, which ruled Assam for 15 years from 2001 to 2016 under former chief minister Tarun Gogoi, got reduced to a shadow of its former self in the wake of the BJP’s emergence as a powerhouse about a decade ago. The Congress has not won a single election in Assam since the BJP captured power in 2016.
Even as the BJP’s juggernaut continued, a moribund Congress was somewhat rejuvenated, first when Gaurav Gogoi managed to win from the Jorhat seat in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections despite the BJP going all guns blazing to defeat him, and then, his appointment as the state Congress president in May last year.
As the Congress under Gogoi was preparing for the Assembly elections, there was a perception that it would be able to put up a fight to the BJP, considering the anti-incumbency factor, particularly in Upper Assam, which has 27 of the state’s 126 seats.
However, the recent resignations have dented that momentum. The party has long been affected by defections, factionalism, and what critics describe as lobby-driven politics. With less than three weeks to go before the polls, it now faces the difficult task of regaining unity and voter confidence in a short span of time.
Alliance issues have added to its troubles. The Congress had aimed to form a broad opposition front but ultimately settled for a five-party alliance. It failed to reach an agreement with Raijor Dal over seat-sharing, while All India United Democratic Front has chosen to contest independently. This fragmented opposition makes the challenge of taking on the BJP even more daunting.
The situation in Assam mirrors a wider pattern of instability within the Congress across the country. As the party heads into elections in several states and Puducherry, it is grappling with high-profile exits, internal disagreements, and organisational weaknesses.
The developments come on the heels of a disappointing performance in the Rajya Sabha elections, where cross-voting and absenteeism by Congress legislators hurt the party in closely contested seats. In Odisha, Haryana, and Bihar, several MLAs either voted against the party line or abstained, helping candidates backed by the ruling NDA.
In Haryana, despite managing a narrow win, the party faced embarrassment as five of its MLAs cross-voted. In Bihar, the absence of half its legislators contributed to the NDA sweeping all five seats. In Odisha, three MLAs defied the party whip and supported NDA candidates, forcing the Congress to expel them.
These incidents have exposed serious gaps in coordination and discipline within the party. Efforts to keep MLAs united, including relocating them before voting, did not prevent cross-voting, pointing to deeper dissatisfaction among members.
Internal tensions are also visible in candidate selection processes. Despite attempts by senior leaders to ensure smooth ticket distribution, disagreements persist in several states. In Kerala, where the Congress is optimistic about forming the next government, rivals have seized on these internal conflicts to question its stability.