Guwahati: In a charged press conference held on Tuesday, Debabrata Saikia, Leader of the Opposition in the Assam Legislative Assembly, escalated his ongoing political feud with Sibasagar MLA and Raijor Dal Chief, Akhil Gogoi, alleging a calculated attempt to dismantle his political standing.
Saikia’s accusations come on the eve of the final phase of the panchayat elections, scheduled for Wednesday, and he has urged the Election Commission to implement stringent measures to ensure a fair electoral process, particularly in sensitive minority-dominated and char-chapori regions.
Saikia directly addressed Gogoi’s recent campaign rhetoric, stating, “I don’t know why Akhil Gogoi is running such propaganda against me. This is not the first time a political conspiracy has been plotted against me.” He further highlighted the recent delimitation exercise, accusing certain forces of strategically redrawing his constituency boundaries to politically marginalize him. “There is a clear plot to assassinate me politically,” Saikia asserted, claiming that a significant portion of his constituency was deliberately merged with Sivasagar.
The Opposition leader also detailed an incident during an Assembly session where Gogoi allegedly attempted to hand him a transcript and made defamatory remarks. “I am placing these incidents before the people now,” Saikia emphasized, indicating a pattern of targeted attacks. While reaffirming his allegiance to the Congress party, Saikia stated, “I like Congress, and I am a Congressi by birth,” and pointed towards external forces attempting to undermine his political career.
Questions regarding the funding of Gogoi’s campaigns were also raised. “Where is all this money coming from? How is he organising such large gatherings and distributing money to candidates?” Saikia questioned, demanding transparency. He further voiced his dissatisfaction with the lack of development in the Nazira constituency, alleging that his pleas to the government have been ignored. “The government rewards those who praise it and punishes those who criticise it,” he claimed.
Addressing the issue of minority representation, Saikia challenged Gogoi’s record, asking, “Whether Gogoi had ever raised his voice for minority communities, either inside or outside the Assembly.” He also reminded the media of Gogoi’s past political affiliations, stating, “In 2014, Akhil Gogoi had appealed to people to vote for the BJP and had praised the party.”
In a final challenge, Saikia dared Gogoi to produce evidence of any alleged agreement between them. “The way he’s making claims about my political career, it sounds as if I had signed an MoU in his presence. If he can produce any such evidence, I will quit public life,” Saikia concluded.