Who Is Akhil Gogoi? From Anti-CAA Protest Leader To Raijor Dal Chief, Tracing The Political Journey Of Sibsagar MLA Amid Congress ‘Betrayal’ Row Ahead Of Assam Assembly Elections 2026

Assam Election 2026: Assam’s gearing up for another intense showdown between the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress, plus regional players like AGP, AIUDF, the Left, and UPPL. 

Congress has been stuck on the opposition side for the past decade, while the BJP’s been running the show for two straight terms, first with Sarbananda Sonowal as Chief Minister and then Himanta Biswa Sarma taking over in the second term. 

Now, the BJP is heading into the election with Sarma leading the charge once more. This year, Assam will head to voting on April 9, 2026, and voters will see results for all 126 assembly seats on May 4. 

Who Is Akhil Gogoi? 

Akhil Gogoi is an Indian politician and activist who currently serves as the Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for the Sibasagar (Sivasagar) constituency in Assam. 

He was born to Boluram and Priyada Gogoi in Selenghat village in Jorhat. He pursued his education at Cotton College, Guwahati between 1993 and 1996, where he studied English literature and was actively involved in student politics, serving as general secretary and magazine secretary of the students’ union. 

He later joined the United Revolutionary Movement Council of Assam (URMCA), a mass organisation linked to CPI-ML-PCC under communist leader Santosh Rana. 

However, by the late 1990s, he parted ways with Rana and went on to work as an editor of Natun Padatik, an independent Marxist journal published in Assamese, alongside Hiren Gohain. 

Akhil Gogoi Political Career 

Akhil Gogoi is the founder and president of the regional political party Raijor Dal, established in 2020 following the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests.  

Akhil Gogoi was a central figure in the 2019-2020 protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act. he was arrested in December 2019 and spent nearly two years in jail under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) before being cleared of all charges by an NIA court in July 2021. 

In 2021, he became the first person in Assam to win an Assembly election from jail contesting as an independent candidate with Raijor Dal’s support. 

Also Read: Who Is Gaurav Gogoi? From NYU Graduate To Congress Leader, Tracing The Political Journey Of INC’s Key Voice In Lok Sabha As Assam Gears Up For Elections