Raijor Dal not to field candidate against Gaurav Gogoi

GUWAHATI Activist-turned-MLA Akhil Gogoi’s Raijor Dal has offered a strategic understanding with the Congress despite the two parties failing to ally.

Mr. Akhil Gogoi, president of the Raijor Dal, had asked his party not to field a candidate against his Congress counterpart, Gaurav Gogoi, in the Jorhat Assembly seat. The constituency is part of the Jorhat Lok Sabha constituency, which the latter represents.

“As an experienced parliamentarian, Gaurav Gogoi knows the Constitution of India and can contribute to law-making, unlike most of our MLAs. This is why I want him to enter the Assam Assembly,” the Raijor Dal chief told journalists on Monday (May 16, 2026).

He said the Congress needed the support of the Raijor Dal, which had a stronger organisational setup in Jorhat, to win the seat. “Jorhat is a wrong choice of seat for Gaurav Gogoi, but we can help him,” he added.

However, he said the Raijor Dal had not appealed to the Congress or any of its allies not to field a candidate in the Sibsagar constituency he represents.

So far, the Congress has released the list of 65 candidates, leaving 15 seats for candidates of its allies — Assam Jatiya Parishad, CPI(M), CPI(M-L), and All-Party Hill Leaders’ Conference. The Raijor Dal has named candidates for 13 constituencies.

The Congress and the Raijor Dal are rivals in three seats — Dhemaji, Goalpara East, and Margherita.