BJP Hattrick Or Congress Comeback? What Does Major Battles In Jalukbari, Jorhat, Dispur And Sibsagar Indicate As Assam Braces Up For Upcoming Polls?

The election battle for Assam 2026 is set to witness a historic contest between the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the Congress-led united opposition, the Asom Sonmilito Morcha (ASM). While the BJP is looking to retain its electoral victory for a third consecutive time, the Congress is aiming for a major comeback after 10 years.

Hot Contenders And Favorites

The prominent candidates leading the fight are incumbent CM Himanta Biswa Sarma, Deputy Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi, Raijor Dal leader Akhil Gogoi, and LoP in the Assam Legislative Assembly Debabrata Saikia. While these figures are the frontrunners for their respective parties, the arena features other hot contenders. These include former Congress MP Pradyut Bordoloi (who recently switched to the BJP), BJP-turncoat-to-Congress Nandita Gorlosa, five-term BJP veteran Hitendra Nath Goswami, Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) President Lurinjyoti Gogoi, and former BJP Assam Vice President Jayanta Kumar Das.

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The Battle In Jalukbari, Dispur, And Jorhat

CM Sarma has been a consistent five-term MLA from the Jalukbari constituency. He is set to contest from his stronghold, where the Congress has fielded Bidisha Neog. Meanwhile, the politically important Dispur constituency will witness a tough triangular fight between the BJP’s Pradyut Bordoloi, Mira Borthakur Goswami from the Congress, and Jayanta Kumar Das, who is contesting independently after being denied a party ticket. In Jorhat, Gaurav Gogoi is making his assembly electoral debut. He will face fierce competition from Hitendra Nath Goswami, a stalwart BJP politician known for his deep local roots.

High-Stakes Clashes In Sibsagar And Haflong

Elsewhere, Akhil Gogoi is looking to retain his Sibsagar seat, which he notably won in the 2021 Assembly elections from behind bars. The 50-year-old leader—an anti-CAA activist with strong grassroots connections—faces veteran Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) leader Prodip Hazarika and the BJP’s Kushal Dowari. In Haflong, Nandita Gorlosa, a former cabinet minister in the Himanta Biswa Sarma-led BJP government, was denied a ticket despite winning the constituency in the previous election. Following this, she joined the Congress, which secured her candidacy. She will face Rupali Lagthasa, currently a Member of the Autonomous Council (MAC) in the Dima Hasao district, fielded by the BJP.

The Fight For Silchar

The Silchar constituency, the urban center of the Barak Valley, will witness an electoral contest between Dr. Rajdeep Roy of the BJP and Abhijit Paul of the Congress. Although Silchar is a current BJP stronghold, it has historically been a favorite of the Congress for more than two terms. Former Union Cabinet Minister Santosh Mohan Dev was a legendary Congress leader who won from this constituency and served under the Manmohan Singh government.

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Looking Ahead: The 2026 Assam Polls

The ruling NDA consisting the BJP, AGP and BPF (Bodoland People’s Front) will contest 90, 26 and 11 seats respectively. On the other hand, the Opposition ASM led by Congress, and consisting Raijor Dal, AJP will contest 99, 13 and 10 seats respectively, while the CPI (M), APHLC and CPI (ML) Liberation will contest 2 seats each. Other parties that are contesting the elections independently are the Badruddin Ajmal led AIDUF (All India United Democratic Front) contesting 27 seats, TMC contesting 23 seats while the UPPL (United People’s Party Liberal) contesting 7 seats.

Ultimately, the 2026 Assam Legislative Assembly elections, contested across all 126 seats, represent a defining moment for the state's political landscape. As these heavyweights clash across the region, the outcome will not only decide who governs from Dispur but also set the state's developmental trajectory for years to come.

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