Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi arrived in Guwahati on Wednesday morning on a day-long visit, during which they will interact with party functionaries and local communities.
This is the first visit of the party's top leaders since Gaurav Gogoi took over as the state president, ahead of next year's assembly election.
Kharge and Gandhi were received at the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport by the party's state leadership, who greeted them with traditional Assamese scarf 'gamosas'. Gandhi also stopped to greet the Bodo dancers performing at the airport to welcome them.
The two leaders proceeded to a hotel near the airport for the first engagements of the day, where they will hold discussions with the political affairs committee of the state Congress. They will also interact with state Congress office-bearers, MPs and MLAs at the same venue.
"They will also be meeting members of the tribal community and people facing persecution, threat of displacement and other forms of harassment," a Congress spokesperson said.
Later in the day, Kharge and Gandhi will travel to Chaygaon, about 40 km from Guwahati, to attend a meeting, during which they will interact with the party's mandal and block presidents.
Gogoi said on Tuesday that the district, block and mandal presidents of the party will be able to present their views before the leadership during the meetings. "The visit reaffirms the Congress party's shared commitment to justice, harmony, and inclusive progress for all," he said in a post on X.
Both leaders are scheduled to leave Guwahati in the evening.
With inputs from agencies