In Assam status quo, Congress takes heart in victory for Gaurav Gogoi

With 11 victories for the NDA and three for the Congress, the distribution of Lok Sabha seats in Assam this time remained similar to that in 2019 despite the considerable changes in the boundaries and demographics of the constituencies owing to last year’s delimitation exercise.

While the NDA bagged the majority of seats – the BJP is set to win nine, and its regional partners United People’s Party Liberal and Asom Gana Parishad are poised for victory in Kokrajhar and Barpeta respectively – the Congress’s wins will be a major morale boost for the party in a state where it has been beset by multiple setbacks.

The most significant victory for the Congress emerged from the most keenly watched contest in the state – the Upper Assam Jorhat seat, where the Congress’s Gaurav Gogoi went up against the incumbent BJP MP Tapan Gogoi. Gogoi contested in Jorhat after the seat he represented twice and his family’s pocket borough – Kaliabor – was drastically transformed in the delimitation exercise, and the BJP ran a particularly vigorous campaign there, led by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who has a history of bad blood with Gogoi.

Gogoi’s victory has also opened wide the dissent within a section of the Assam BJP itself. This was suggested by the fact that BJP MLA Mrinal Saikia congratulated Gogoi for his victory. “The outcome proved that money, big publicity, overdoses of leaders and arrogant speeches do not always help to win elections,” Saikia had said.

It was also a Congress candidate who clinched the most resounding victory in the state, with Rakibul Hussain defeating sitting MP and AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal by a margin of over 9.8 lakh votes in Dhubri.

The defeat of Badruddin, who has represented the seat since 2009, was