In a climate where the BJP is being given a cakewalk in the Northeast, Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi spoke to Prasanta Mazumdar on a range of issues — from alleged coercion by the BJP to the Congress ideas and philosophy. On the hype being created about a thumping victory for the BJP, he said the ‘400’ slogan of the party is another jumla. Excerpts: What has changed for you between 2019 and now?In 2019, I went to the polls in the presence of my father (three-time former Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi). He was an experienced campaigner and a seasoned leader who guided me on the issues affecting the people of Assam. Now, my focus is on the Jorhat seat. It is a new seat for me. I contested from a different seat (Kaliabor) the last two times. I have to mobilise the party organisation to fight the election this time.How polarised is Assam and how Congress, painted as pro-Muslim, can overcome its impact?That is the narrative the BJP wants to push. It is our responsibility to push our ideas and philosophy to the people. Bharat Jodo Yatra has been successful in establishing that the Congress brings communities together, that it works for social justice for all sections.Is the BJP government’s punitive financial action affecting the Congress’ election campaign? They are using measures including coercion not only against political parties but all sections of society. We have seen that in the SBI electoral bond case. They are harassing and threatening even the corporate sector. It’s not just political parties, the BJP leadership is trying to turn Indian democracy into a Chinese-style government or Russian-style oligarchy. What we are trying to do is take the idea of India and Indian democracy as enshrined in the Constitution and espoused by leaders such as Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Dr BR Ambedkar, Maulana Azad, Babu Jagjivan Ram.
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