BJP top brass assembles in Jorhat to chart 2026 Assembly poll strategy
Ahead of the meet, MoS Margherita slammed MP Gaurav Gogoi, claiming locals are 'disillusioned' by his alleged absence
Jorhat, May 21: Buoyed by its strong showing in the recently concluded Panchayat elections, the state unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) held a high-level strategy meeting on Wednesday at the Jorhat District Sports Association (JDSA) Ground, to chart its course for the 2026 Assembly elections.
The meeting saw the presence of key party leaders including Assam BJP President Dilip Saikia, BJP state in-charge Harish Dwivedi, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, his cabinet colleagues, BJP MPs, and presidents of district units and autonomous councils.
Speaking ahead of the meeting, Rajya Sabha MP and Minister of State for External Affairs, Pabitra Margherita, underlined the BJP’s growing support base across Assam, including among indigenous communities.
“The people of Assam have strongly backed the BJP in the recent Panchayat polls, and the people of Jorhat are looking for real development,” Margherita said.
He took aim at sitting Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi, claiming that the Jorhat electorate has grown disillusioned due to Gogoi’s alleged lack of presence in the region.
Commenting on the controversy surrounding Gogoi’s purported visit to Pakistan, Margherita said: “There’s a difference between people who officially travel to Pakistan—politicians, sportspersons, religious leaders—and those who do so secretly. His statements seem to be edging toward an admission. The people of Assam, even his own party, are asking whether he truly visited Pakistan. We are not happy. We are ashamed.”
Echoing the sentiment, Mariani MLA Rupjyoti Kurmi alleged that Gogoi’s political credibility is waning.
“Even his friends and allies are walking away. He used emotions to win elections. In 2014, people voted for him in Kaliabor, but he was rarely seen. Whether it’s Bihu or floods, he’s never around during people’s moments of joy or crisis,” Kurmi said.
The BJP’s emphatic victory in the Panchayat polls has strengthened the party’s prospects ahead of 2026.
Earlier, the Jorhat unit of the Saffron party also made an appeal to Chief Minister Sarma to contest the next Assembly elections from the Jorhat Legislative Assembly Constituency.