People’s MLA vs 'The System': why all eyes are on Raijor Dal's Akhil Gogoi in Assam assembly election 2026

Akhil Gogoi, part of Raijor Dal, is contesting the Sivasagar seat after his notable anti-CAA activism. He is part of a newly formed alliance with Congress.

Akhil Gogoi is a leader of the Raijor Dal party fighting the election from the Sivasagar seat. He remains a crucial figure in Assam politics due to his unique ability to bridge the gap between grassroots regionalism and high-stakes legislative opposition.

Sibsagar MLA Akhil Gogoi, who has served 567 days in prison for his role in the anti-CAA agitation in Assam. (ANI)

Gogoi, who rose to power from the anti-CAA movement, has filed his candidacy from this seat to seek a second term. His primary support comes from the indigenous Assamese communities, particularly the peasantry, rural youth, and the Ahom community in Upper Assam, who view him as a protector of land rights and identity.

5 key facts about Akhil Gogoi

1. For the 2026 elections, his party, Raijor Dal, is contesting 13 seats across the state. While a regional player, the party focuses on strategic pockets in Upper and Central Assam where Gogoi’s "people-first" ideology resonates most strongly.
2. In a dramatic turn of events, the alliance with Congress was finalised just weeks before the election. Initially, there were significant disagreements over seat-sharing, but the "Asom Sonmilito Morcha" (United Opposition Forum) was solidified when Gogoi and Gaurav Gogoi reached a consensus to prevent a split in the anti-incumbency vote.
3. People support him because he is seen as a "fearless voice" who is unafraid to challenge the powerful. He gains votes by highlighting localised issues like "fake encounters," land rights for the landless, and his relentless use of the RTI Act to expose corruption, presenting himself as a candidate of the "common man" against the "corporate-backed" establishment.
4. He was born in Selenghat village, Jorhat. Gogoi’s rise is a story of academic excellence met with social activism. An alumnus of Cotton College, he chose the life of a social reformer over a traditional career, founding the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) to organise the rural masses, eventually reaching the state assembly as a powerful regional voice.
5. The 2021 Struggle & CAA: His political legacy is inseparable from the anti-CAA movement, during which he was imprisoned for over 500 days on sedition charges. In a feat unparalleled in Indian politics, he won the 2021 Sivasagar election from a prison cell, without addressing a single rally, depending entirely on his mother and volunteers to carry his message to the voters.