Assam Elections 2026: Cong state president Gaurav Gogoi meets Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren in Ranchi, what is the political message?
Assam Election 2026: Amidst the approaching assembly elections in Assam, Jharkhand Chief Minister and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) President Hemant Soren's activeness has increased the political turmoil in the Northeast. In this context, Assam Pradesh Congress Committee President and Lok Sabha MP Gaurav Gogoi met with him at the Chief Minister's residence in Ranchi on Thursday. This meeting is being considered important for potential coordination and strategic cooperation between opposition parties in the context of the Assam elections.
All India Congress Committee General Secretary and former Union Minister Bhanwar Jitendra Singh and Jharkhand Pradesh Congress in-charge K. Raju were also present at the meeting. While officially described as a courtesy call, political circles are considering it significant for the opposition's strategy for the Assam elections.
Seat-sharing discussions held
According to sources, the meeting discussed in detail the upcoming Assam assembly elections-2026, ongoing development projects in Jharkhand, and contemporary political issues. Preliminary discussions were also held regarding potential electoral coordination and seat-sharing between the JMM and Congress in Assam. It is believed that both parties are considering the possibility of forming a strong alliance, focusing on tribal and other social groups in the state.
Soren's increasing activism in Assam
In fact, in the last one and a half months, Hemant Soren has addressed two large public meetings in Assam. The Adivasi Mahasabha rally held in Tinsukia district in February and the subsequent rally in Vishwanath district drew large crowds. In these meetings, he prominently raised the issue of identity, respect, and rights of the tribal community, especially those working in tea gardens. The JMM believes that the millions of tribal communities settled in Assam from Jharkhand, Odisha, and West Bengal are a significant political force.
JMM's focus on tribal politics
Sudhivya Kumar, general secretary of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and minister in the Jharkhand government, says the party's goal is to become a strong voice for the country's approximately 120 million tribal people. According to him, the public support being received in Assam indicates that the tribal community there is seeing new hope for political representation.
The tenure of Assam Legislative Assembly is scheduled to end on 20 May 2026. The previous assembly elections were held in March–April 2021. After the election, the incumbent National Democratic Alliance formed the state government again after winning 75 out of 126 seats in the assembly, with Himanta Biswa Sarma becoming Chief Minister.