With APCC Command, Is Gaurav Gogoi the Congress Ace for Assam 2026?

In a move that has sparked intense political speculation, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) on Monday appointed Gaurav Gogoi as the new President of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC), setting the stage for what could be a high-octane showdown with Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in the 2026 Assembly elections.

The reshuffle, coming just a year ahead of the polls, is being widely interpreted as a strategic attempt by the Congress to rebrand its leadership and mount a credible challenge to the BJP’s dominance in Assam. Gogoi’s elevation, coupled with the inclusion of Jakir Hussain Sikdar, Roselina Tirkey, and Pradip Sarkar as Working Presidents, is being seen as an effort to strike a regional and demographic balance ahead of the crucial polls.

With Bhupen Kumar Borah, the outgoing APCC chief, now heading the Campaign Committee, and other party veterans like Debabrata Saikia, Ripun Bora and Pradyut Bordoloi leading key committees, political observers believe the Congress is gearing up for a full-fledged revival in the state.

However, it is Gogoi's appointment that has set tongues wagging the most.

A two-time Lok Sabha MP and son of former Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, Gaurav is now being speculated as the party’s chief ministerial face in 2026. His growing visibility and vocal criticism of the Himanta Biswa Sarma-led BJP government have only fuelled theories of a direct electoral face-off, possibly in Jorhat—a constituency Himanta is also reportedly eyeing for a strategic Assembly entry.

Should both leaders contest from Jorhat, it could result in a political clash of titans—Congress’s generational hope versus BJP’s current powerhouse.

While neither Gogoi nor Himanta has confirmed plans to contest from the seat, sources within both camps suggest that groundwork is already being laid. Political circles are abuzz with whispers that the Congress may field Gogoi to reinvigorate its grassroots base, while the BJP could use Himanta’s possible shift to Jorhat as a symbolic message of its expanding stronghold in Upper Assam.

Adding to the speculation, Roselina Tirkey’s release from AICC responsibilities to focus solely on APCC affairs hints at a more aggressive on-ground campaign strategy being formulated by the Congress.

Though officially a leadership transition, the appointment has taken on the contours of a potential electoral prelude to 2026—a year that could mark either the resurgence of Congress in Assam or the consolidation of the BJP’s grip.

For now, all eyes remain fixed on whether Jorhat becomes the battleground where two political legacies collide.

Also Read: BIG BREAKING: Gaurav Gogoi Appointed New Assam Congress President