Former All Assam Minority Students’ Union (AAMSU) president Rejaul Karim Sarkar formally joined the Indian National Congress today in the presence of Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Gaurav Gogoi. The joining programme was held at the Manavendra Sharma Complex in the city and saw several political and community leaders entering the Congress fold.
Along with Sarkar, a number of former office-bearers of AAMSU, including ex-vice presidents of the organisation also joined the Congress. Senior Congress leaders said the induction reflected growing confidence among leaders from different backgrounds in the party’s ideology and leadership ahead of the 2026 Assam Assembly elections.
The Congress also welcomed Roop Kumar Medhi, a senior leader from the Mising community. Apart from this, BJP political affairs committee member Manoj Kumar Mahanta joined the Congress, along with other prominent individuals such as Chila Basumatary, Arun Basumatary, Mrinmoy Kalita and Alokesh Medhi. 
Several senior leaders of the Pradesh Congress were present at the event, including All India Congress Committee secretary Manoj Chauhan. Party leaders described the joining as part of an ongoing effort to strengthen the organisation across communities and regions in Assam.
However, the entry of Rejaul Karim Sarkar into the Congress has also led to unease within a section of the party. The Bongaigaon District Congress Committee has raised concerns over his induction and reports suggesting that he could be considered as a possible candidate from the Srijangram Assembly constituency.
Bongaigaon DCC president Girish Baruah has written to APCC president Gaurav Gogoi, urging the leadership to reconsider the decision. In his letter, Baruah said that while the Congress has always stood for inclusiveness, such steps should be taken after careful assessment of ground-level political realities.
He warned that Sarkar’s joining could allow the Bharatiya Janata Party to revive its criticism of the Congress by projecting it as being dependent mainly on minority leaders and organisations. According to him, this could lead to consolidation of Hindu votes against the Congress in Srijangram and other parts of the state.
The letter also mentioned that during the previous Lok Sabha elections, AAMSU workers were allegedly active against the Congress candidate. Despite this, the Congress candidate won by a large margin, which, Baruah argued, indicated that Sarkar does not have strong grassroots influence within the party organisation.
Expressing concern over party morale, Baruah said Srijangram is currently considered a strong constituency for the Congress due to its organisational strength. He cautioned that projecting an outsider candidate could demoralise long-serving party workers at the booth and block levels.
