Jorhat MP Gaurav Gogoi was on Monday appointed the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee’s (PCC) president, reflecting the Opposition party’s resolve to take the fight to the ruling BJP amid the latter’s growing attempts to project him and his wife as having close ties with Pakistan.

The All India Congress Committee (AICC) announced Gogoi’s appointment in a press statement issued by party general secretary K.C. Venugopal.

The appointment was along expected lines since Gogoi, the deputy leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha, won the Jorhat seat by defeating the sitting BJP MP by a comfortable margin.

Gogoi succeeded Bhupen Kumar Borah, who was appointed on 24 July 2021.

The AICC also named three working presidents, as was the arrangement when Borah was appointed state president. Jakir Hussain Sikdar, Roselina Tirkey and Pradip Sarkar are the new working presidents. For Sikdar, it will be his second term.

The AICC also appointed senior leaders to key positions — outgoing president Borah has been named chairperson of the campaign committee, while Debabrata Saikia, leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, is the chairperson of the coordination committee.

Lok Sabha members Pradyut Bordoloi and Rakibul Hussain will head the manifesto committee and publicity committee, respectively. Gaurav, the 1982-born three-term MP, is the son of former chief minister Tarun Gogoi.

Congress watchers said the central leadership tried to accommodate the interests of communities that play a decisive or key role in electoral politics and factions within the party.