Senior Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Assam Assembly, Debabrata Saikia today said that some people are spreading false propaganda against the Congress by claiming that the party is taking money in exchange for election tickets.
Saikia said that these allegations are not true and are being circulated to mislead the public. He explained that the Congress Party has a clear rule regarding applications for party nominations, and the rule has been in place for a long time.
He said that when a person comes to collect the nomination form, the party charges a small fee. This fee is only for the form and not for the party ticket. He also said that the exact date of the allegation was not known, but the party wanted to clarify the matter so that people are not confused. 
Saikia pointed out that if the Congress started giving out nomination forms completely free of cost, then a very large number of people might start collecting forms without any serious intention of contesting. He mentioned that even Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma often says that he has many people inside the Congress. In such a case, Saikia said, anyone could send thousands or even crores of so-called “agents” to collect nomination forms, which would make it very hard for the party to identify genuine candidates.
To avoid this situation, Saikia said, the party collects a small, non-refundable amount from those who take the nomination forms. According to him, this helps to ensure that only those who are truly serious about contesting and working for the party come forward.
He said the fee discourages non-serious applicants, as the amount is not returned later. Because of this, only committed individuals usually apply, and the party can then focus on genuine aspirants when it begins the selection process.
Debabrata Saikia also launched a strong attack on the BJP. He alleged that the ruling party is trying to influence the political and demographic situation in Assam ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.
Saikia claimed that the BJP is promoting what he described as an “imperialist agenda” through Hindutva politics and growing influence from the Hindi-speaking regions of the country. He said that the Congress has been continuously protesting against these developments and has also raised the issue earlier, including through statements made by former Congress president Rahul Gandhi.
According to Saikia, attempts are being made to bring in between 10,000 and 15,000 “outsider voters” into each Assembly constituency in Assam. He alleged that these voters are being used as “rented voters” to secure election victories.
Saikia warned that such practices pose a serious threat to the democratic system of the state. He said the Congress will build a strong and united protest against what he called a conspiracy to change Assam’s voting pattern.
The Leader of the Opposition also dismissed the findings of the recent ‘People’s Pulse’ survey. He said the survey was unscientific, politically motivated and not reflective of the real situation on the ground.
He questioned how a state with more than 2.5 crore voters could be judged on the basis of a survey conducted among only about 5,000 people. In some constituencies, he claimed, only around 40 people were interviewed. Saikia said at least one to two per cent of voters in each constituency should be surveyed to arrive at a meaningful conclusion.
He alleged that such surveys are prepared to help the BJP and to demoralise opposition supporters. However, he said that the Congress Party is not affected by these reports and will not give importance to them.
Saikia also clarified that former MP Ripun Bora never said that the Orunodoi welfare scheme should be scrapped. Instead, he said that if Congress comes to power, welfare schemes will be strengthened and made more effective.
On questions about opposition unity, Saikia said there is no plan to exclude Raijor Dal leader Akhil Gogoi from any alliance. He urged all opposition parties to speed up seat-sharing discussions so that a united front can be presented before the people.
