Assam elections: Congress's Gaurav Gogoi takes full responsibility for defeat
What's the story
After the Indian National Congress (INC) faced a major defeat in the 2026 Assam Legislative Assembly elections, state party president Gaurav Gogoi took full responsibility. The Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) secured a strong mandate to retain power, paving the way for Himanta Biswa Sarma's second consecutive term. "We accept the people's mandate. We express our gratitude to those who voted for us and to those who support us," Gogoi said in a statement after the vote counting.
Acknowledgment
Gogoi thanks national leaders for support
Gogoi also thanked national leaders like Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, and Rahul Gandhi for their support. He admitted that the party did not meet its expectations in terms of seat numbers. "We weren't able to get the seats that we expected," he said. Despite this setback, he assured that Congress would continue to push for Assam's development both inside and outside the assembly.
Responsibility
Meeting with newly elected MLAs on May 9
Gogoi was surprised by the scale of the results in several constituencies and said people have not accepted this result. "We thought that the fight would be neck to neck. But the result in many seats is unthinkable," he remarked. He also announced a meeting with all newly elected Congress MLAs on May 9 to discuss election strategies and party strengthening measures.
Governance
BJP should work sincerely to resolve Assam's issues: Gogoi
Gogoi extended his best wishes to the Bharatiya Janata Party and hoped that the new government would work sincerely to resolve Assam's issues. He urged them not to repeat past mistakes like harassment and corruption. "Though we have not won as many seats as we had anticipated, we will continue to fulfill our duty," he said, stressing on raising people's voices and protecting the Constitution.
Election loss
Congress only won in 19 seats
The Congress suffered a major defeat in the April 9 elections, winning only 19 seats. Notably, Gogoi lost his own seat in Jorhat to the BJP's Hitendra Nath Goswami by a huge margin. Despite this setback, he thanked the people of Assam for their support and promised to work on the feedback received about needing a fresh approach within the organization.