The six-party Asom Sonmilito Morcha (ASM), led by the Congress, is projecting confidence as Assam heads towards the 9 April Assembly elections. This marks a notable shift in the political narrative over the past fortnight, when many observers had predicted a cakewalk for the incumbent BJP.

The change in mood is reflected in Congress leader and Karnataka deputy chief minister D.K. Shivakumar — the party’s senior observer for Assam — claiming that the Congress could secure a two-thirds majority.

So, what has changed in the past 15 days?

The consolidation of a broader Opposition platform — including regional players such as Raijor Dal and Left parties — appears to have gained traction in several pockets. Political observers note that since taking charge of the Pradesh Congress, the party's Lok Sabha deputy leader Gaurav Gogoi has maintained a high degree of strategic discretion on candidate selection, alliance negotiations and campaign positioning. This has, according to observers, unsettled internal detractors such as Bhupen Bora and Debabrata........

© National Herald