Kumar Bahukhandi
Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister and BJP candidate from Jalukbari constituency, Himanta Biswa Sarma, celebrates with party workers after winning in the state Assembly election results, in Guwahati, Monday, May 4, 2026. (PTI Photo)
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma was elected from Jalukbari with a formidable lead of more than 87,000 votes over his nearest rival, Congress candidate Bidisha Neog
Guwahati: The Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance on Monday registered a landslide victory in the Assam assembly polls by winning 100 out of 126 seats, reaffirming the political dominance of Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
The BJP created a history by winning 82 seats on its own with its allies Bodoland Peoples Front winning 10 seats and Asom Gana Parishad getting victory on 8 seats. The opposition Congress was reduced to 19 seats from 29 seats in 2021.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma was elected from Jalukbari with a formidable lead of more than 87,000 votes over his nearest rival, Congress candidate Bidisha Neog. The landslide victory of BJP led alliance flagged a stark failure for the Congress-led opposition as most of stalwarts of opposition including Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi lost the elections. The sitting MP and state Congress chief Gaurav Gogoi lost assembly polls from Jorahat seat. He polled 46,257 votes, while BJP’S Hitendra Nath Goswami secured 69,439 votes, retaining the seat for a third consecutive term.
The most visible casualty of this election was also the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), which has collapsed from 16 seats in 2021 to just two constituencies. The result also reflected that despite leadership changes and a desperate campaign to reclaim lost ground, Congress failed to woo back its traditional support bases. The party’s inability to regain the trust of the Ahom community, tea garden tribes, and even Muslim voter groups that were once the bedrock of the party in Upper Assam has left it decimated across key constituencies.
The Congress-led alliance in Assam, comprising Gaurav Gogoi (Congress), Akhil Gogoi (Raijor Dal), and Lurinjyoti Gogoi (Assam Jatiya Parishad), all prominent figures from the Ahom community, was strategically aimed at tapping into the dominant Ahom vote bank in Upper Assam. However, results indicate that the alliance failed to regain the trust of the Ahom community with defeat of leader of opposition Debabrata Saikia trailing by over 40,000 votes from Nazira constituency in Upper Assam’s Sibsagar district. He lost to the BJP.
The result also indicated that in a highly polarised election, the minority have reposed their faith with the Congress but delimitation of constituency reduced minority-dominated seats, which failed to help Congress shore up its number of seats.
The Opposition has consistently argued that delimitation has “packed” minority voters into fewer constituencies. Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi has accused the BJP of “hijacking” the process, alleging that it split anti-BJP regions for electoral gain. Meanwhile, Assam education minister and senior BJP leader Ranoj Pegu retained the Dhemaji constituency by defeating his nearest rival Sailen Sonowal of the Congress by 32,229 votes, according to the assembly poll results declared by the Election Commission. Pegu polled 83,649 votes, while Sonowal received 51,420 votes.
The Assam minister, who was in charge of portfolios like education and tribal affairs in the Himanta Biswa Sarma-led government, was first elected to the assembly from Dhemaji in the 2017 bypoll. Most ministers of the BJP-led government had also established a formidable lead over their nearest rivals in their respective constituencies at the time of completion of counting of votes. According to the election commission, the counting of votes was over in majority of constituencies but its formal announcement was awaited.
The ministers who were leading at the time of completion of votes included—Chandra Mohan Patowary (BJP) – Tihu, Atul Bora (AGP) – Bokakhat, Keshab Mahanta (AGP) – Kaliabor, Ranjeet Kumar Dass (BJP) – Bhowanipur-Sorbhog, Ajanta Neog (BJP) – Golaghat, Pijush Hazarika (BJP) – Jagiroad And Ashok Singhal (BJP) – Dhekiajuli. Two former Congress leaders Bhupen Borah and former MP Pradyut Borodoloi who joined BJP just before the elections and contested assembly polls on BJP ticket also won their respective seats.
