Latest news with #BhupenKumarBorah
Time of India
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Outgoing state Cong chief for oppn alliance ahead of '26 polls
1 2 Guwahati: Outgoing APCC president Bhupen Kumar Borah on Tuesday expressed hope for reconstructing the opposition alliance that collapsed last year due to unsuccessful seat-sharing negotiations in the less significant assembly bypolls. This comes a day after the party announced the appointment of Gaurav Gogoi, the deputy leader of Congress in Lok Sabha and MP from Jorhat, as the new state PCC chief. During a press conference, Borah emphasised the importance of avoiding alignment with Badruddin Ajmal's AIUDF, while opposing the 'communal' BJP. "On AIUDF, my stance on alliance politics was clear even before I became state PCC President. I wrote to the Congress leadership even then, when we were fighting against BJP, which is promoting communal division, we should not join hands with another communal force (AIUDF)," Borah said. Borah added that his recommendations were overlooked during the 2021 assembly election, resulting in a Congress-AIUDF alliance, but it could not succeed. However, he asserted that when he became the state PCC chief, the alliance with AIUDF was terminated immediately. "If we want to fight against RSS-BJP, and join hands with another communal force, what will the people of Assam think? We should realise this," Borah added. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trade Bitcoin & Ethereum – No Wallet Needed! IC Markets Start Now Undo On May 15, during discussions about potential reshuffling with party leadership, Borah advocated for alliance-building with other like-minded parties of the state rather than independent campaigning ahead of the 2026 assembly polls. "Anti-BJP people must be united. When other leaders like Akhil Gogoi, Lurinjyoti Gogoi, Ajit Kumar Bhuyan and Manoranjan Talukdar called me yesterday, I told them to continue efforts to form the opposition alliance. I will also continue to do the same," Borah said. Borah expressed appreciation to AICC for his four-year tenure as Assam PCC President, arguably one of the most challenging periods for Assam Congress, following two consecutive assembly election defeats in 2016 and 2021. Opposition leaders praised his efforts in establishing the 18-party opposition forum Asom Sanmilito Morcha (ASM). Despite Congress's current absence, other parties remain optimistic about future reunification and seat-sharing arrangements under ASM for the 2026 assembly polls. Borah mentioned that despite being in his early forties, Gaurav's political experience includes three consecutive Lok Sabha victories, earning recognition from both treasury and opposition parliamentarians during discussions in Lok Sabha. He noted the improved political climate for Congress, recalling earlier challenges: "When I became Assam PCC President, people were hesitating to come forward to take posts. Seventeen district presidents resigned, in 64 blocks there were no presidents, in BTR and Hailakandi Congress was zero," Borah said.
United News of India
26-05-2025
- Politics
- United News of India
Cong appoints Gaurav Gogoi as president of Assam
New Delhi, May 26 (UNI) Ahead of the Assam assembly elections, Congress president Mallikarjun on Monday appointed Gaurav Gogoi as the Assam Congress chief with immediate effect. Gogoi will replace Bhupen Kumar Borah, party general secretary KC Venugopal said in a statement. Moreover, Kharge also appointed Jakir Hussain Sikdar, Roselina Tirkey and Pradip Sarkar as working presidents. The party appointed Bhupen Kumar Borah, Debabrata Saikia, Pradyut Borodoloi and Rakibul Hussain as chairpersons of Campaign Committee, Coordination Committee, Manifesto Committee and Publicity Committee respectively. These appointments too are with immediate effect. Meanwhile, Gaurav Gogoi expressed grateful to Kharge and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi for giving him this responsibility. While praising the former PCC president Bhupen Kumar Borah, Gogoi said, 'I would not have been here without the guidance of my parents and the support of my family especially my wife and children'. 'It is a blessing to work with so many dedicated and inspiring senior leaders and workers in the Congress party in Assam. Their wisdom, experience and dedication to the party has taught me many things. I look forward to work with my seniors and colleagues,' the Congress deputy leader in Lok Sabha said. 'In the days to come I will seek the blessings of the people of Assam. I am confident that together we can create a better future for our state. Joi Ai Axom ! Jai Hind!' he added.
Hindustan Times
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
AICC appoints Jorhat MP Gaurav Gogoi as Assam Congress chief
Jorhat Congress MP and the party's deputy leader in Lok Sabha, Gaurav Gogoi, was on Monday appointed as the new president of the Assam unit, replacing Bhupen Kumar Borah. The appointment comes amid allegations of Gogoi, son of former Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi, having visited Pakistan and his wife, a British national, and having alleged links with the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) of Pakistan. 'I am grateful to Congress President Shri Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition (Lok Sabha) Shri Rahul Gandhi, Shri KC Venugopal, and Shri Jitendra Singh (party in-charge for state) for trusting me with this responsibility. Former Pradesh Congress Committee President Shri Bhupen Kumar Borah led the party from the front and made a tremendous contribution. I would not have been here without the guidance of my parents and the support of my family especially my wife and children,' Gogoi posted on X following his appointment. 'It is a blessing to work with so many dedicated and inspiring senior leaders and workers in the Congress party in Assam. Their wisdom, experience and dedication to the party has taught me many things. I look forward to work with my seniors and colleagues. In the days to come I will seek the blessings of the people of Assam. I am confident that together we can create a better future for our state. Joi Ai Axom ! Jai Hind,' he added in his post. Gogoi's appointment comes ahead of next year's assembly polls amid a series of electoral losses the party has suffered since the Congress lost to the Bharatiya Janata Party in Assam in 2016. The Congress also appointed Jakir Hussain Sikdar, Roselina Tirkey and Pradip Sarkar as working presidents of the state unit. Outgoing president Borah has been appointed president of the party's campaign committee and leader of opposition in the state assembly, Debabrata Saikia, has been made the head of the coordination committee. Sitting MPs Pradyut Bordoloi and Rakibul Hussain will lead the manifesto and publicity committees, respectively, according to the circular signed by All India Congress Committee general secretary KC Venugopal. Since February this year, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has targetted Gogoi, alleging that the latter had visited Pakistan and spent several days there without briefing the Centre. The same month, the state police following directions from the cabinet formed a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the links of Gogoi's wife, British national Elizabeth, having worked in Pakistan while employed with an NGO. Sarma has maintained that the results of the investigations would be revealed on September 10. 'Yesterday, senior Congress leader Sri Ripun Bora made a startling confession — he admitted that the British wife of Hon'ble MP Sri Gaurav Gogoi was, in fact, on the payroll of the Pakistan Government. If this is indeed true, it raises deeply alarming questions about national security,' the CM posted on Monday. Gogoi has repeatedly denied having any links with Pakistan's military or intelligence agencies, both by him and his wife, and has dared Sarma to reveal the outcome of the SIT probe immediately. 'Questions for the Hon'ble Chief Minister of Assam 1) Will you resign if you fail to prove your allegations of me and my wife being agents of an enemy country? 2) Will you take questions on your own children and wife? 3) Will the state police arrest those linked to the coal mafia who are ravaging the hills of Assam and making crores of undeclared money? Waiting for the SIT report to be submitted,' Gogoi has posted on X in April. The 42-year-old won from the Jorhat seat in last year's Lok Sabha polls after defeating sitting BJP MP Topon Kumar Gogoi.
