Having won Lok Sabha elections twice since 2014 from Kaliabor constituency in Assam, Gaurav Gogoi, Congress' deputy leader in the Lok Sabha and son of former Assam CM Tarun Gogoi, finds himself as the new candidate in neighbouring Jorhat, where BJP's Topon Kumar Gogoi won in 2019. Sumir Karmakar caught up with 41-year-old Gaurav in between his campaign meetings inside Mohkhuti Tea Estate in Jorhat. Gogoi talked about delimitation, his confidence about I.N.D.I.A bloc, PM Narendra Modi's Mission 400+, the CAA and more during the interview.
Any specific reason why you switched to Jorhat?
Well, Kaliabor has been a Congress bastion since 1991, my father late Tarun Gogoi and uncle Deep Gogoi were elected from Kaliabor many times, I was elected twice. Being the Congress bastion for long, BJP felt that they had no other option but to split Kalibaor by a process of delimitation last year, in which they reorganised the Assembly and Lok Sabha constituencies to suit their political interests. Unfortunately, the Election Commission remained a mute spectator despite petitions by the people. So Kaliabor was thus divided and merged with two Lok Sabha seats, Nagaon and Kaziranga. Therefore, the party felt this time, Jorhat, which once was a Congress stronghold would be boosted by my candidature.
So how will delimitation help the BJP?
We have now re-organised ourselves. But they have done it to suit their voters. They have looked at where they don't get votes and re-organised the constituencies accordingly. To an extent, it will give them an advantage for sure but many people tell me they feel oppressed under this government. So, people will vote against the BJP.
When the I.N.D.I.A. bloc was taking shape, you were very confident about its prospect. Are you still confident given the fact parties like AAP and TMC did not join?
Across the country, we have stitched major alliances. Compared to 2019, the campaign is much more consolidated with coordinated. I feel that a lot more needs to be done and we will do so. So, I am quite confident about our alliances creating a huge impact on people's minds. The manifesto of Congress has got widespread attention. The NDA is not as strong as it is made out to be and there is a lot of hype and rhetoric. So, I am confident that the bloc will get the majority and form the government.
PM Modi has announced Mission 400+ and claims there is no anti-incumbency. Your thoughts?
I put the 400+ target in the same category as Rs 15 lakh in every bank account, smart cities, digital India, two crores jobs...this is another big marketing jumla and we all know how good PM Modi is in marketing.
Don't you think people will vote for Ram Mandir?
Lord Ram belongs to everyone and India is a deeply religious country. The faith in Lord Ram existed even before the BJP came into politics, and so it is shameful for the BJP to seek votes in the name of Lord Ram. It is a disrespect to the Hindu faith. But for BJP it has never been a matter of faith. People are slowly realising their politics in the name of Lord Ram. The place of Lord Ram is in our hearts, in our homes, our temples, and not in the campaigns of elections.
Your speech in the Parliament on Manipur was very strong. Will Congress highlight the issue during campaigns?
Manipur is another example of BJP's divide-and-rule policy. It was nothing but creating division between the Meiteis and the Kukis. Similarly, in Assam, through the CAA, the BJP is trying to create a rift between the indigenous Assamese and Bengali-speaking people. In Assam, they are also creating a divide between those who want Scheduled Tribes and those who are already Scheduled Tribes. It is nothing but a cheap attempt to win elections. It is also bad for our national security. People are now realising that BJP seeks to divide and Congress unites them. One of the important ways of spreading that message was when Rahul Gandhi embarked on his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra and said Nafrat Ke Bazar Me Muhabbat Ki Dukan Khulne Hai...many people clapped and accepted the message. So I think, BJP's politics of divide and rule is nearing its expiry date.
What about the CAA?
We had said in our manifesto in 2019 that we would repeal the act once we are back to power. We are firm on our stand. The CAA is nothing but an act to divide people on religious lines and create a rift between the Assamese and the Bengalis in my state. In Assam, there are many genuine Bengali Indian citizens, who were kept out of the NRC due to some clerical errors and instead of helping them to clear their names, the BJP government is asking them to commit forgery and declare themselves as foreigners to get Indian citizenship through the CAA. They are not Bangladeshis, they were born in India, their parents were born in India and they deserve that self-respect.