Assembly Polls: What Is The Situation Ahead Of Assam Assembly Elections 2026?

Guwahati: Assembly elections are scheduled to take place on Thursday in three states across the country: Assam, Kerala, and Puducherry. In all three states, while the ruling parties are striving to retain their hold on power, the opposition is pulling out all the stops in an effort to make a comeback. In Assam and Puducherry, the BJP-led NDA currently holds power; conversely, in Kerala, the Left Front is in control, and its primary electoral battle in the state is perceived to be against the Congress party. Experts predict that this time around, all three states are likely to witness intriguing electoral contests.

What landmark is BJP eyeing in Assam?

In the elections for Assam’s 126-member Legislative Assembly, the main contest is expected to unfold between the BJP-led NDA and the Congress-led opposition alliance. The BJP has entered the fray with the objective of forming the government for a third consecutive term, while the Congress is striving to stage a comeback after losing power in 2016. A total of 722 candidates are in the electoral race, including prominent figures such as Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Congress State President Gaurav Gogoi, Leader of the Opposition Debabrata Saikia, AIUDF Chief Badruddin Ajmal, and Raijor Dal leader Akhil Gogoi.

What is the situation in Assam?

Voting will be conducted across 31,490 polling stations spread across the state's 35 districts, from 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Approximately 2.50 crore voters are eligible to cast their ballots, a demographic that includes 1.25 crore women and 318 third-gender voters. In terms of party-wise representation, the Congress has fielded candidates in 99 seats, the BJP in 90, and the AIUDF in 30 seats.

The BJP's allies—the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and the BPF—are contesting 26 and 11 seats, respectively. Among other parties, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is contesting 18 seats, the Trinamool Congress 22, the UPPL 18, and the JMM 16 seats; additionally, there are 258 independent candidates in the fray.

Women's representation in the Assam Assembly elections remains limited, with a total of only 59 female candidates in the fray this time. Of these, the Congress party has fielded 14 women, while the BJP has given tickets to 7. All eyes are on the key contests, including the battles involving Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for the Jalukbari seat, Gaurav Gogoi in Jorhat, Debabrata Saikia in Nazira, and Akhil Gogoi in Sibsagar.

To ensure a fair electoral process, arrangements for webcasting have been made at all polling stations, and central forces have been deployed to maintain security. This time, 6.42 lakh new voters, 2.50 lakh people over the age of 80, and 2.05 lakh voters with disabilities are also participating in the elections.