After Panchayat rout, Gogoi flags organisational lapses as BJP ups ante in Jorhat

Guwahati/Jorhat, May 17: Deputy Leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha and Jorhat MP Gaurav Gogoi, on Saturday, admitted that the party is grappling with organisational weaknesses—an issue he said was evident in recent electoral outcomes.

Speaking to the press after a meeting with Congress legislators at his residence in Guwahati, Gogoi stressed the need for introspection and course correction.

“Some organisational weaknesses have been evident in the polls. Rectifying these shortcomings is our prime responsibility,” he said, ahead of his scheduled departure to Delhi.

The gathering comes on the heels of the Congress’s poor performance in the recent Panchayat elections, which saw significant gains by the BJP at the grassroots level.

“After the panchayat election results, we are committed to correcting our mistakes. This will be the first and last time such a result will occur. We are working collectively to ensure we don’t repeat the same errors in the upcoming polls, particularly the 2026 Assembly elections,” he said.

Reflecting on the party’s defeat, he added, “We have accepted our loss. There's something to learn from both winning and losing. Last year, when the BJP lost in Jorhat, they learnt from their mistake and adapted their campaign. We intend to do the same—not just in Jorhat, but across the state.”

Among those present at the meeting were legislators Shibamani Bora, Asif Nazar, Abdur Rahim Ahmed, Aftabuddin Mollah, and several others.

Meanwhile, the BJP is intensifying its campaign in Gogoi’s Lok Sabha constituency. Energised by its strong showing in the panchayat polls, the party is now focused on expanding its base in Congress-held constituencies, including Titabor and Nazira.

Addressing the media, BJP state general secretary Diplu Ranjan Sarma said, “The BJP has achieved unexpected success at the grassroots level in the panchayat elections.”

He added that an expanded organisational meeting in Jorhat would soon be held, with key leaders such as state president Bhabesh Kalita, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, state in-charge Harish Trivedi, MPs, MLAs, and district leaders in attendance.

Sarma also took aim at Gogoi, claiming that the people of Jorhat—known for their intellectual and educational awareness—had already rejected him just a year into his tenure as MP.

The BJP's strategy meeting will also cover preparations for the upcoming Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) and Mishing Autonomous Council elections, he said.

Earlier, on May 15, the party’s Jorhat unit had formally urged CM Sarma to contest the 2026 Assembly elections from Jorhat LAC, buoyed by their recent gains.

Within a year of losing the Jorhat Lok Sabha seat to Congress, the BJP's turnaround in the panchayat polls is being viewed by party workers as a significant political momentum shift in the district.