“Unity Would Have Brought Better Results” — Raijor Dal

As the counting for the panchayat elections nears its end, it has become clear that the ruling BJP is poised for a sweeping victory. Raijor Dal (RD) leader and party spokesperson Rasel Hussain, speaking to Pratidin Time, blamed a divided opposition for the poor show.

Hussain criticized the Congress, stating, “From the very beginning, Raijor Dal has been advocating for opposition unity. However, the Congress failed to learn any lessons from the assembly bypolls held in November last year.”

Despite the challenges, Hussain thanked the RD workers for their efforts in the party’s maiden statewide election. “So far, we have won three Zila Parishad Constituencies (ZPCs) and are in neck-and-neck contests in two others. We have also secured 20 Anchalik Panchayats (APs) and over 300 ward member seats. This was the first election we contested on such a large scale, fielding candidates in demographically diverse regions across the state.”

Among the three ZPCs RD has won are Pabhoi (Lakhimpur district), Mahamaya (Dhubri), and Dolgaon (Darrang). According to Hussain, the party is in close contests in one ZPC each in Hailakandi and Goalpara districts.

Expressing his thoughts on the results, Hussain further criticized the Congress: “In fact, we were pushed to the backfoot in several places due to our consistent calls for opposition unity. The Congress failed to make course corrections after the bypolls. A perception developed among voters that RD could not win without Congress support, which created confusion.”

“Our real setback was in Sivasagar, and Congress is responsible. They fielded candidates in our strongholds and failed to win—finishing in third place instead. Had they agreed to an alliance, the outcome would have been different,” Hussain added.

“We lost another 10–11 ZPCs by margins of less than 2,000 votes. At the Sissiborgaon ZPC, RD polled 9,842 votes, Congress got 8,108, and the BJP won with 12,283 votes.”

Notably, RD president and Sivasagar MLA Akhil Gogoi led intensive campaigns across Assam, especially in minority-dominated areas. Referring to the results in Dhubri, Hussain said, “We finished second in Dhubri, right after the Congress. That’s not a bad performance for a first-time contender.”

In an earlier comment to Pratidin Time, AJP president Lurinjyoti Gogoi remarked, “It’s now clear that elections in our country are becoming increasingly polarized. It’s BJP versus the opposition. In such a scenario, fragility among the opposition is suicidal. The opposition—especially the Congress—must work on this.”

Also Read: Congress, Raijor Dal Wiped Out in Mariani: Rupjyoti Kurmi