KOKRAJHAR : A massive election rally at Debitola High School ground in Kokrajhar on September 12 turned into a strong show of strength for the Congress, with party leaders launching sharp attacks on the BJP-UPPL alliance ahead of the polls.

Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president and MP Gaurav Gogoi accused the ruling coalition of betraying public trust by failing to deliver on promises of development. He said the much-publicised Jal Jeevan Mission has become a “stigma,” with pipes laid but no water supply, and alleged widespread irregularities in schemes like Arunodaya and Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.

According to him, instead of addressing these failures, the government resorts to police intimidation to silence dissent.

Gogoi further charged Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma with admitting to scams but refusing to take responsibility. He also criticised the BJP for failing to grant tribal status to six communities despite repeated assurances and urged a peaceful resolution to the Koch Rajbanshi community’s protests in Golakganj.

Drawing comparisons with the Congress era, Gogoi said his father, former Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, had ensured peace in the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) by bringing militant groups into the mainstream. He alleged the current government is “promoting guns and liquor” while shutting down schools and increasing liquor shops, jeopardising the future of young people.

The Congress leader also levelled a serious charge, claiming the government sold 40,000 bighas of land in Sixth Schedule areas to corporate groups like Adani, Ambani, and Patanjali without consulting indigenous tribes such as the Rabha, Garo, and Bodo. He vowed that Congress would not allow common people’s land to be handed over to private entities.

On regional politics, Gogoi questioned the silence of parties like BPF and UPPL on underdevelopment in health, education, and transport, alleging they function under Sarma’s influence. He declared that Congress has fielded candidates in all BTR constituencies as part of a “people’s fight” against an “arrogant king.”

Dhubri MP Rakibul Hussain, who also addressed the rally, warned voters against backing the BPF, claiming a “secret understanding” between its leader Hagrama Mohilary and the BJP. He said voting for BPF would indirectly strengthen the ruling party.

More than five thousand people attended the meeting, along with senior Congress leaders, including MLAs Wazed Ali Chowdhury, AK Rashid Alam, and Sobhan Ali Sarkar, signalling significant grassroots support for the party in the region.

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