New Delhi, April 7 (NationPress) In Upper Assam, where the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) achieved a commanding victory in the 2021 Assembly elections, the Congress party is now aiming for a comeback, leveraging what is commonly referred to as the “3G” factor as the state heads to polls on Thursday.

In the last Assembly election, the NDA had claimed 41 out of the 56 seats in the region, which occurred prior to the 2023 delimitation process. The recent redrawing of constituencies has changed the electoral landscape, with indications that the number of Muslim-influenced segments may have decreased. Still, whether the ruling alliance can capitalize on this structural advantage to secure electoral victories remains to be seen, especially against a backdrop of anti-incumbency sentiments and strong local allegiances.

The 2024 Lok Sabha elections were conducted following the completion of the delimitation process by the Election Commission. As such, Thursday’s Assembly election in Assam will serve as the inaugural state-level trial of the newly defined boundaries. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma approaches the election with a sense of optimism, buoyed by strong performances in recent panchayat polls that suggested an increase in voter support. The NDA is anticipated to gain from the constituency reconfigurations in Upper Assam, potentially transforming traditional voting behaviors.

The region encompasses ten districts: Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, Jorhat, Sivasagar, Golaghat, Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Majuli, Charaideo, and Biswanath. Renowned for its tea industry and Ahom cultural heritage, Upper Assam remains politically and economically significant within the state.

In an effort to reclaim lost influence, the Congress is forming a six-party alliance that includes key regional leaders. Central to this coalition are three leaders sharing the surname Gogoi: Jorhat MP Gaurav Gogoi, Sibsagar MLA and Raijor Dal founder Akhil Gogoi, and Assam Jatiya Parishad president Lurinjyoti Gogoi. Collectively known as the “3G”, they are perceived by their supporters as the backbone of the Opposition’s challenge in Upper Assam.

Gaurav Gogoi has risen as a pivotal figure after outperforming the BJP’s incumbent MP Topon Kumar Gogoi in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections by over 1.4 lakh votes. He is currently vying for the Jorhat Assembly seat, which is part of his parliamentary domain. His opponent is the BJP’s Hitendra Nath Goswami, a seasoned politician who has held the seat multiple times since 1991, beginning his career with the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP).

Jorhat’s electoral history indicates a tightly contested race. Although Goswami lost to Congress candidate Rana Goswami in 2006 and 2011, he successfully reclaimed the seat in both 2016 and 2021 against the same opponent.

Akhil Gogoi, recognized for his advocacy as a farmer leader and RTI activist, secured the Sibsagar seat in 2021 by a margin of nearly 12,000 votes, despite being incarcerated at that time. His party, Raijor Dal, which he founded in 2020, currently holds two Assembly seats and has aligned with the Congress.

Lurinjyoti Gogoi, another influential member of the trio, established his party, the Assam Jatiya Parishad, in 2020 after gaining prominence in student politics as a former general secretary of the All Assam Students’ Union. He is contesting from Khowang in Dibrugarh district, a constituency previously known as Moran prior to delimitation. He will be facing the BJP’s Chakradhar Gogoi, who has represented the seat in the Assembly on two occasions.

In addition to these prominent contests, the Opposition is also focusing on other constituencies such as Tinsukia and Lakhimpur. The BJP had won Tinsukia comfortably in previous elections, but shifting ground dynamics could make this seat more competitive. In Lakhimpur, the Congress lost by a narrow margin of about 3,000 votes in 2021, while the AJP, which contested independently at that time, secured nearly 2,500 votes.

These constituencies might prove critical in determining the electoral outcome in Upper Assam, with the Opposition anticipating the AJP to sway anti-BJP voting patterns in around 10 seats, while the “3G” leaders aim to consolidate Ahom support across approximately 45 constituencies. Despite these initiatives, the Congress faces significant organizational hurdles on the ground. The BJP’s entrenched network, coupled with Chief Minister Sarma’s personal appeal, continues to provide the ruling alliance with a substantial edge.