Tarun Gogoi is perceived to be a "soft" leader not given to asserting himselfand at best, a stop gap arrangement till the elections are over in Assam. The AssamPradesh Congress Committee president and Lok Sabha member, who has been in politics forthree decades, is however unfazed by these perceptions. Right now, he says, his only jobis to concentrate on getting the party back to power in insurgency-ridden Assam. Havingled the Congress to two thumping wins in the 1998 and 1999 Lok Sabha elections, winningover 10 seats out of the 14 Lok Sabha constituencies, Gogoi is confident of a"hattrick". Excerpts from the interview.