AJP: The Politics of Noise and Irrelevance

The Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) emerged in the aftermath of the anti-CAA agitations as a supposed vehicle for Assamese aspirations. Formed with the emotional energy of the streets, the party promised to be a bulwark against the national dominance of the BJP and the compromises of the AGP. Yet, in less than five years, AJP has revealed its own limits: it shouts loudly, but carries no sting. In Assam’s high-stakes political theatre, the AJP has become less of an opposition and more of a political formality—a safety valve that ultimately strengthens the very forces it claims to resist.

The Formality of Opposition

Whenever Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma faces allegations—whether on identity politics, migration issues, or governance lapses—AJP is quick to issue sharp condemnations. But these interventions almost never go beyond statements. They lack follow-up mobilisation, organisational reach, or serious political strategy. For the public, AJP’s opposition is beginning to look like ritualistic performance: loud enough for headlines, but too weak to alter the balance of power. In other words, opposition as formality.

Spring vs Autumn: A Party Divided by Image

The party’s contradictions are embodied in its two leading faces:

Lurinjyoti Gogoi (Spring): A product of the AASU-led anti-CAA agitation, Gogoi symbolises freshness and idealism. He projects a clean image, free of corruption or the compromises of power. His student politics background gave him mass visibility, and for a time, he looked like the natural inheritor of Assam’s regionalist sentiment. He is the spring of AJP—energetic, untainted, but politically inexperienced.

Jagadish Bhuyan (Autumn): In contrast, Bhuyan carries the baggage of establishment politics. Once a minister in the 1996 Prafulla Mahanta-led AGP government, and later Chairman of Assam Petrochemicals Limited under Sarbananda Sonowal’s chief ministership, Bhuyan has enjoyed the perks of power. His past links make him appear as a leader stained by opportunism. Today, he drifts in the autumn of his career—symbolic, but not inspiring.

Together, Gogoi and Bhuyan represent spring and autumn inside one party—youthful promise weighed down by a tainted legacy. Rather than balance each other, they cancel each other out, leaving AJP suspended between moral posturing and political irrelevance.

The Dibrugarh Episode: Opposition or Controlled Sparring?

The clearest evidence of AJP’s role came during the last Lok Sabha elections. The party fielded Lurinjyoti Gogoi against former Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal in Dibrugarh. The move generated a few days of headlines, but its impact was predictable: it fractured the anti-BJP vote and ensured Sonowal’s smooth victory.

This was not opposition. This was controlled sparring—a drama that created the illusion of challenge while strengthening the incumbent. For many observers, it confirmed what they had long suspected: AJP functions less as a challenger and more as an extra player in the BJP’s ring, used to fix crises and absorb dissent.

The AGP Parallel: History Repeats

AJP’s trajectory is not new. Assam’s regionalism has repeatedly produced strong movements that faltered once they entered the formal power arena:

The AGP Story: Born from the historic Assam Movement, AGP captured power in 1985 on the wave of Assamese nationalism.