After the Indian National Congress (INC) suffered a significant setback in the 2026 Assam Legislative Assembly elections, the BJP-led NDA secured a strong mandate to retain power. Congress Assam President Gaurav Gogoi held a press conference and shouldered responsibility for the party’s defeat on Tuesday.
In a statement following the counting of votes, Gogoi expressed gratitude to party supporters and workers while accepting the people’s verdict. “We accept the people’s mandate. We express our gratitude to those who voted for us and to those who support us. Congress will reach out to those who did not vote for us,” Gogoi said.
Gogoi praised the dedication of grassroots Congress workers who stood by the party despite challenges. “We express our gratitude to the grassroots Congress workers who stand with us despite facing problems. We have seen a new Congress,” he added.
The Congress president also thanked national leaders, including Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, and Rahul Gandhi, for their support.
He acknowledged that the party fell short of expectations in terms of the number of seats it won.
“We weren’t able to get the seats that we expected. But we will try our suggestions for the development of Assam in and outside of the assembly. We will always stand with the general people of Assam,” Gogoi stated.
Reflecting on pre-poll expectations, Gogoi noted surprise at the scale of the outcome in several constituencies.
“People have not accepted this result. We thought that the fight would be neck to neck. But the result in many seats is thinkable,” he remarked.
He also announced that the Congress party would convene a meeting with all newly elected Congress MLAs on Saturday, May 9.
As the state President, Gogoi took full accountability for the defeat. “As the captain, I am taking responsibility for this defeat,” he declared.
The results mark a continuation of NDA dominance in Assam, with Congress and its allies securing a limited number of seats despite campaigning vigorously.
Extends greeting to the BJP
Further extending greetings to the Bhartiya Janata Party, Assam Congress President said, “I extend my best wishes to the BJP and its leadership. I hope the new government will sincerely work towards resolving the various issues faced by the people of Assam.”
However, the previous BJP government did not perform as expected, with the issue of artificial floods being a clear example of its shortcomings. I also hope they will not repeat the mistakes of the past, such as harassing people and indulging in corruption.”
Though we have not won as many seats as we had anticipated, we will continue to fulfil our duty, raising the voice of the people and protecting the Constitution. If the government falters, we will fearlessly speak up in the interest of the people of Assam. Our numbers may be fewer, but our morale remains high.”
Thanking the people of Assam, Gaurav Gogoi noted, “I sincerely thank the people of Assam for their support. We have received feedback that we need a fresh approach within the organisation to better connect with the masses. In the coming days, we will convene a meeting of all our newly elected MLAs to review how the elections were conducted, check if all rules were followed, and discuss ways to strengthen the party.”
Congress suffered a huge loss in the April 9 elections, winning only 19 constituencies. Notably, Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi, who himself lost the Jorhat seat to BJP’s Hitendra Nath Goswami by a substantial margin.
