The Opposition Congress is using the upcoming bypolls in Assam to prepare the ground for the 2026 Assembly elections.

The poll rallies by Assam PCC president Bhupen Kumar Borah are about what the Congress would do if elected to power in 2026. Borah’s campaign pitch primarily focuses on wooing women and poor households, which shifted towards the ruling BJP in 2016.

Borah is promising voters that the financial assistance of ₹1,250 would be increased to ₹3,000 per month under the Orunodoi scheme if Congress came to power in the state in 2026.

Talking to The Telegraph on Saturday, Borah said that they are taking the November 13 by-elections to the five Assembly constituencies “seriously” because they want to build momentum for the 2026 Assembly as well as the 2025 Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) elections.

“There will be slight differences in our approach. Unlike the BJP, we will try to generate employment so that there is a reduction in the number of beneficiaries under social welfare schemes over a period of time. We don’t want to make our people dependent on government schemes. We want to make them self-dependent but till that happens we will extend schemes which benefit them in real terms,” Borah said trying to deflect the accusation that both the Congress and the BJP are indulging in politics of winning votes by extending government largesse.

Borah also said that they would use the bypolls to rebuild the party in the BTR for next year’s council elections.

“We are contesting in Sidli constituency after 25 years. For the benefit of our then ally, BPF, our organisation suffered in the Bodo belt. We started rebuilding with the Lok Sabha elections. We got 12,000 votes. We are now eyeing over 40,000 votes and hoping to win the seat. This will give a boost to our party unit,” he said.