Majuli, Assam:

During the campaign, greeted by dozens of supporters, Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi said he was confident of winning the Lok Sabha seat and said if the number of selfie clicks reached, the people of India would Party MP Topon Kumar Gogoi is certain to lose. He was converted into votes by the people.

Mr. Gogoi, the Kaliabor MP who joined the war from Jorhat, spent two days in Majuli, the world’s largest river island in the middle of the Brahmaputra River, and addressed as many as 12 street rallies in the area gave a speech.

Majuli was earlier part of the Lakhimpur Lok Sabha constituency but during the delimitation exercise conducted by the Election Commission last year, it was added to the Jorhat constituency.

Jorhat constituency was once controlled by Gaurav’s father Tarun Gogoi, the late charismatic CM, who switched allegiance to the BJP in 2014. Populous communities here include the Ahom, Thengal-Kachari, Mising and Tea tribes.

After Gogoi’s Kaliabor seat was renamed as Kaziranga in the delimitation, he was given the tough task of fighting the BJP in Jorhat, which had a strong presence in the past Over the past decade it has become a stronghold of the ruling party. He hopes to create an emotional connection with voters, especially young people. However, closing the gap of more than 82,000 votes by which Congress lost seats in 2019 looks like a daunting task.

Gaurav Gogoi, 41, spent Wednesday night in a traditional ‘chang ghar’ (elevated house) and began chatting around 9 a.m. on Thursday with his campaign team of men and women of different ages composition, about the plans for the day.

He then immediately went to Kalitapar village in Pokhagara mandal in Majuli district to attend the first meeting. He was greeted by local artists with traditional ‘Bihu Dhol’ (drums), whose alluring rhythm forced him to shake his legs and dance with his supporters.

People showered him with flower petals and hugged him, and many elderly people kissed the young politician. Some put a traditional “gamocha” (scarf) garland on his head, and young people gathered around him to take photos.

Supporters raised slogans such as “Gauravor Joy, raijor Joy” (Gaurav’s victory is the victory of the people) and “Jikiboi jikiboi, Gaurav jikiboi” (Gaurav will win).

“I am overwhelmed by the love you are showering on me. The number of pictures and selfies you are clicking with me, if we convert these into votes, the BJP will lose by a huge margin,” Gogo Mr. Yi said amid warm applause and laughter. .

Attacking the BJP, he claimed that it makes too many promises before every election but almost none of them are fulfilled.

“Government schools and colleges are closing, drug prices are rising, inflation on essential commodities is at an all-time high and the condition of farmers is deteriorating,” he claimed.

Gogoi also highlighted that Majuli, who was once represented by former chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal, faced a host of issues in the Assembly and the government was unable to resolve them.

Apparently referring to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and her family, he said: “My father has been chief minister for 15 years. Despite this, I have neither Factory, and no tea plantation. There is no factory in my mother’s name.” Same goes for the name. “

Mr. Gogoi then went to Natun Chapori Mising, Cherepai Khowa and Dhapak villages and held similar meetings.

After an hour’s rest, he had lunch at a party member’s house. Rice, dal, sabji, papad and salad are on the menu.

After a home-cooked meal, he reached the village of Chumoimari and began the final leg of his campaign in Majuli. The street rally in Bongaon Chariali is the last stop for voters here.

“Majuli is facing huge erosion but the BJP government is doing nothing. With the attitude you are treating me now, I will be with you after winning too. I will always support you in your bad days, “He said.

Mr Gogoi and his team of six party members left Majuli at 4 pm on a booked single-engine ferry from Aphalamukh ghat to Jorhat town.

After arriving in Jorhat, Gogoi held a series of closed-door meetings with different like-minded political and social groups. The meetings lasted until around 8.30pm.

The Congress deputy leader’s last program of the day in the Lok Sabha was a dinner with local journalists.

After dinner, members of his team left home and gathered again the next morning for another day of campaigning.

Jorhat will go to polls in the first phase on April 19 along with four other seats in Upper Assam.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)