Guwahati: After the crushing defeat in the Assembly election, Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi said the party has accepted the verdict but will firmly defend the Constitution.Speaking to the media, he said democracy in Assam would die if Congress MLAs failed to act strongly as the opposition, and no one would be able to check the govt. Despite being reduced to a record low of 19 MLAs in the state Assembly, he said the party would work to give more power to the people.“We did not get as many seats in the assembly as we should have. But even so, outside the assembly, we will fulfil our duty — in defence of the Constitution, in defence of democracy, and in the interest of common citizens. Wherever people need our help to raise their voice, to raise the problems of their district, to raise the voice of their community, we will help, and similarly, wherever we can offer positive advice to the govt for resolving the problems of the state, we will provide that as well,” Gogoi told the media at the party’s state headquarters on Tuesday.
He said Congress would strongly oppose the govt wherever it makes mistakes in matters affecting the public.Gogoi, who lost the Jorhat seat, said Congress needs fresh thinking on how to take the party, its organisation and its ideology to the people.On Saturday, Congress called all its candidates, including winners, to understand what they observed during the election regarding the administration, EVMs, returning officers, the Model Code of Conduct and the overall poll process. Referring to Jorhat, Gogoi thanked the people there. “They have always used their wisdom. In the last Lok Sabha election, they gave us great blessings. In this assembly election, I was not able to devote as much time to campaigning as I wanted to, because as the state president of Congress, I had to travel to many places,” said Gogoi, who is currently the LS MP from Jorhat.In the run-up to the election, the contest was projected as a battle for the chief minister’s post between Gogoi and CM Himanta Biswa Sarma. Gogoi said Congress would closely watch Sarma’s work if he continues as CM and whether he fulfils his responsibilities to the people of Assam. “If there are further acts of corruption, we will continue to raise them. We will watch his behaviour. Anytime he threatens any citizen of Assam, we will stand in protection.”
