Jorhat/Guwahati: A raw intensity defines Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s campaign—acerbic speeches, spontaneous dances on stage, playful raps for young supporters like an indulgent ‘mama’, and even flying kisses for cheering crowds of young women.
In contrast, Gaurav Gogoi, president of the Assam Congress, appears restrained and inward-looking, waving gently and offering at most a modest smile. He does break into hesitant Bihu steps when prodded, but those rarely turn into a performance.
On the streets of Assam, the loud and vocal support for Sarma can create the impression that his brand of politics—clamorous and relentless—has more takers than Gogoi’s quieter, more reticent style.
Jorhat, located about 300 km from the state capital Dispur, presents a study in contrast. Here, even Gogoi’s direct challenger, the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Hitendranath Goswami, is civility personified. The tone of the contest stands apart from the more combustible battles seen elsewhere.
That qualitative difference stems from the region’s electorate. Often regarded as Assam’s cultural capital, home to many revered intellectuals over the decades, Jorhat offers Gogoi an enviable advantage, one that few Congress candidates enjoy in constituencies that are not Muslim-majority.
A victory here would not only mark Gogoi’s first entry into the Assam Assembly—after being elected to the Lok Sabha thrice since 2014—but also cement his standing in state politics and endear him to a quieter, yet sizeable, constituency across Assam that finds Sarma’s style unappealing.
Throughout the campaign, both Gogoi and Goswami, a veteran who served as Speaker of the Assam Assembly from 2017 to 2021 and hails from an illustrious Jorhat family, have displayed notable grace, steering clear of mudslinging.
Gogoi has repeatedly acknowledged Goswami’s experience and stature, while Goswami has returned the compliment, praising the Congress leader’s oratory in Parliament. The result is an unusual dilemma for voters.
“Both candidates are good. Hitendranath Goswami has represented the seat five times. He is knowledgeable and polite. Gogoi is equally decent and talented. I feel he has an edge, but one cannot say for sure. Jorhat is not like most other seats in Assam where the BJP has a clear advantage,” said Rituraj Bora, a resident of the Upper Assam town.
Gogoi also acknowledged that he was fighting a tough contest. “There were many comfortable seats going by the Congress’s track record in them. But the party asked me to come to Jorhat, and it is by no means an easy election. My political opponent is a former Speaker, a multi-term MLA. But that’s what leadership is. You don’t think about itself but more about what you can do for your party,” he told ThePrint in an interview last month.
In the 2024 general elections, Gogoi secured a stunning victory from the Jorhat Lok Sabha constituency, holding off an aggressive campaign led by Sarma. His appeal as a strong parliamentary voice played a key role, alongside the enduring legacy of his father, former three-term Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, and the region’s influential Ahom community support base.
The senior Gogoi, who passed away in 2020, was born in Jorhat into an ethnic Tai-Ahom family and had represented the seat in the Lok Sabha early in his career.
Gogoi’s performance as a parliamentarian continues to hold good. However, paradoxically, it is also holding a section of voters back from fully endorsing him.
“The Congress will not win Assam this time, but Gogoi may emerge victorious. In that case, will he not prefer returning to the Lok Sabha? It is unlikely that he will stay on as an MLA or become the Leader of Opposition in the state. Is it not better to back Goswami, who is a tried and tested face of the ruling party then?” said Chinmay Kalita, a shopkeeper in Jorhat town.
On his part, Gogoi has studiously avoided giving a direct response to the question. When ThePrint specifically placed this before him during an interview last month, Gogoi appeared evasive.
“I have never planned anything for myself. I never planned to contest this Assembly election. I never planned to contest from Jorhat even in 2024 after my previous seat Kaliabor underwent delimitation. Right now, my concern is about how do we crystallise our broad vision for Assam once we form government,” he told ThePrint.
This sentiment that Gogoi is more at home in Delhi than in Assam has long shadowed the young politician who spent his formative years mostly in the national capital and then went abroad for higher studies. It has even greater resonance outside the boundaries of Jorhat.
For instance, consider car mechanic Biplab Das’s words in Guwahati. “He is a good person. I liked his father too. And his mother is so dignified too. His family is so unlike the present chief minister’s family. He can emerge as a credible challenger to someone like Himanta in five years only if he spends time in Assam,” said Das.
As Assam votes Thursday, the result in Jorhat will decide more than just who represents the seat nestled between sprawling tea estates. It will also indicate whether Assam sees in Gogoi a credible challenger to Sarma—because of, not despite, their stark differences.
(Edited by Nardeep Singh Dahiya)