'End Of An Era': Congress Fails To Send Even One MP From Assam To Rajya Sabha

Guwahati: In a historic and symbolic setback, the Indian National Congress (INC) has been left without a single representative from Assam in the Rajya Sabha for the first time since Independence.

The shift became official on Thursday following the swearing-in of newly elected three members after the latest biennial polls, marking a complete wipeout of the Congress from the state’s seven-member quota in the Upper House. Today Jogen Mohan and Terash Gowalla took oath as BJP MPs and UPPL president Pramod Boro took the oath.

At present the BJP has 4 MPs including Jogen Mohan, Terash Gowalla, Kanad Purkayastha, Pabitra Margherita while the UPPL has two Pramod Boro and Rwngwra Narzary and the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) has lone Birendra Prasad Baishya as their representative. First time Congress has nil representative from Assam.

Once the dominant political force in Assam, the party’s absence underscores the firm grip of the BJP-led alliance in the state’s current political landscape.

For decades, Congress had been a permanent presence in Assam’s Rajya Sabha representation. The state even sent former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to the Upper House for nearly 28 years, from 1991 to 2019. Congress sent former President of India Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, Puspalata Das, Maulana Tayyebulla, Deba Kumar Barooah, Prafulla

Goswami, Mahendra Mohan Choudhry, Bijoy Chandra Bhagavati, Matang Sinh, Anwara Taimur, Silvius Condpan, Karnendu Bhattachariee Congress stalwarts.

A senior Congress leader, reacting to the development, said, “We cannot ignore the reality. From sending a Prime Minister to the Rajya Sabha to having no one there today is a serious setback for us. We have to rebuild from the ground up.”

The slide began after the BJP came to power in Dispur in 2016, steadily shrinking Congress’s numbers in the State Assembly—key to winning Rajya Sabha seats. The situation worsened with prominent leaders like Bhubaneswar Kalita switching sides in 2019, weakening the party further.

With the retirement of its last remaining members and insufficient strength in the 126-member Assembly to secure a seat in recent elections, Congress has now been completely shut out.

Political observers see this as more than just a numbers game. A Guwahati-based analyst said, “This is clearly the end of an era. Congress was once the natural party of governance in Assam. Today, it has no voice of its own in the Rajya Sabha from the state.”

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The absence also carries practical implications. Without representation in the Council of States, Congress lacks a direct platform from Assam to raise region-specific issues through its own MPs.

However, party leaders insist this is not the end. “We are preparing seriously for the 2026 Assembly elections. This phase is difficult, but we are determined to regain our strength and reconnect with the people,” another leader said.

As Assam heads towards the next Assembly polls, the Congress faces an uphill task—reviving its organisation, regaining public trust, and reclaiming lost political ground both in the state and in Parliament.