Jorhat, August 18: Jorhat MP Gaurav Gogoi has expressed his willingness to contest from any constituency selected by the Congress leadership in the 2026 Assam elections.
The Congress’s deputy leader in the Lok Sabha on Sunday said that he would not hesitate and would readily enter the fray for the seat currently held by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma even if he was asked to contest from Jalukbari constituency.
“If the Congress party asks me to contest from Jorhat or Jalukbari in the coming assembly elections, I will gladly oblige because the Congress party is a party which works for the people, unlike the BJP which works only for its own benefit,” Gogoi told the press on the sidelines of a programme in Mariani.
Gogoi’s statement has understandably triggered speculation that there may be a face-off between him and Chief Minister Sarma in the 2026 state elections, which could turn into an epic showdown.
The Jalukbari constituency is a stronghold of Prime Minister Sarma, who has won five consecutive state elections there since 2001.
Gogoi added that he is no stranger to speculation and is always ready to face any challenge anywhere.
“Before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, there was speculation whether I would contest from Nagaon or Jorhat. There were predictions that I would lose by 1.5 to 300,000 votes. But as we all know, the results have spoken for themselves. The supporters of the ‘opportunist king’ should stay with him and those who have the heart to work for the people should march with the Congress party,” he said.
The Congress leader also stressed that one of his main goals is to follow in the footsteps of his father, former chief minister Tarun Gogoi, and work for the people and development of Assam. “It is my prime duty to fulfil my father’s unfulfilled dream,” he said.
Whether the people of Assam will witness an epic clash between the Congress leader and Chief Minister Sarma over the Jalukbari seat remains to be seen, but with his statement today, Gogoi has certainly given the electoral signal, especially with the by-elections and Rajya Sabha elections looming.
