AICC appoints Jorhat MP Gaurav Gogoi as Assam Congress chief

Jorhat Congress MP and the party’s deputy leader in Lok Sabha, Gaurav Gogoi, was on Monday appointed as the new president of the Assam unit, replacing Bhupen Kumar Borah.

The appointment comes amid allegations of Gogoi, son of former Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi, having visited Pakistan and his wife, a British national, and having alleged links with the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) of Pakistan.

“I am grateful to Congress President Shri Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition (Lok Sabha) Shri Rahul Gandhi, Shri KC Venugopal, and Shri Jitendra Singh (party in-charge for state) for trusting me with this responsibility. Former Pradesh Congress Committee President Shri Bhupen Kumar Borah led the party from the front and made a tremendous contribution. I would not have been here without the guidance of my parents and the support of my family especially my wife and children,” Gogoi posted on X following his appointment.

“It is a blessing to work with so many dedicated and inspiring senior leaders and workers in the Congress party in Assam. Their wisdom, experience and dedication to the party has taught me many things. I look forward to work with my seniors and colleagues. In the days to come I will seek the blessings of the people of Assam. I am confident that together we can create a better future for our state. Joi Ai Axom ! Jai Hind,” he added in his post.

Gogoi’s appointment comes ahead of next year’s assembly polls amid a series of electoral losses the party has suffered since the Congress lost to the Bharatiya Janata Party in Assam in 2016.

The Congress also appointed Jakir Hussain Sikdar, Roselina Tirkey and Pradip Sarkar as working presidents of the state unit. Outgoing president Borah has been appointed president of the party’s campaign committee and leader of opposition in the state assembly, Debabrata Saikia, has been made the head of the coordination committee.

Sitting MPs Pradyut Bordoloi and Rakibul Hussain will lead the manifesto and publicity committees, respectively, according to the circular signed by All India Congress Committee general secretary KC Venugopal.

Since February this year, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has targetted Gogoi, alleging that the latter had visited Pakistan and spent several days there without briefing the Centre.

The same month, the state police following directions from the cabinet formed a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the links of Gogoi’s wife, British national Elizabeth, having worked in Pakistan while employed with an NGO. Sarma has maintained that the results of the investigations would be revealed on September 10.

“Yesterday, senior Congress leader Sri Ripun Bora made a startling confession — he admitted that the British wife of Hon’ble MP Sri Gaurav Gogoi was, in fact, on the payroll of the Pakistan Government. If this is indeed true, it raises deeply alarming questions about national security,” the CM posted on Monday.

Gogoi has repeatedly denied having any links with Pakistan’s military or intelligence agencies, both by him and his wife, and has dared Sarma to reveal the outcome of the SIT probe immediately.

“Questions for the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Assam 1) Will you resign if you fail to prove your allegations of me and my wife being agents of an enemy country? 2) Will you take questions on your own children and wife? 3) Will the state police arrest those linked to the coal mafia who are ravaging the hills of Assam and making crores of undeclared money? Waiting for the SIT report to be submitted,” Gogoi has posted on X in April.

The 42-year-old won from the Jorhat seat in last year’s Lok Sabha polls after defeating sitting BJP MP Topon Kumar Gogoi.