Assam bypolls: 'We might have lost, but it won't demotivate us', says Congress chief

Assam Congress President Bhupen Borah remained optimistic despite the party's defeat in all five assembly by-elections held in the state. The vote counting was completed today (November 23), with BJP and its coalition candidates winning by large margins. 

Speaking to media, Borah said, "We may have lost today, but we are motivated to work harder. Our efforts will pay off, and in the upcoming elections, we will definitely emerge victorious".

He further added, "The way the people of Assam made us victorious before, we have also faced defeat. We accept both victory and defeat with humility, but today, the media has not highlighted an important issue."

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Borah took a sharp dig at Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, accusing him of focusing on national politics over the welfare of Assam. 

"For the past four months, Sarma has been acting as a part-time Chief Minister. He was sent to Jharkhand, Telangana, and Karnataka, but was unsuccessful in all his ventures. If the BJP had sent him to Maharashtra, they would have lost there as well," he said, criticising Sarma's political engagements outside the state.

Borah, while acknowledging their defeat, also emphasised the progress Congress had made. 

"We congratulate Priyanka Gandhi on her victory in Wayanad. We received strong support in Sidli and Behali, and we are confident about contesting the BTR elections in 2025. The people of Assam and BTR believe in Congress, and they will help us win," he said.

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He also mentioned, while Congress lost in some constituencies, the party gained significant ground in others, adding, "In Dholai, we improved by over 30,000 votes compared to June 2024. We exposed the BJP's corruption and failure to deliver on their promises." 

Talking about the pre-poll violence in Samaguri, Borah expressed regret over it and alleged illegal voting. 

"We have filed complaints with the DC office, the Police, and the Election Commission in Delhi," he said, referring to reports of people from Samaguri casting votes in other states under questionable circumstances.