Guwahati, November 21, 2025 – The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is gearing up for the Assam Assembly elections in 2026 with a strategic seat-sharing arrangement with its alliance partners, aiming to contest 103 out of the 126 assembly seats. This decision was reached during the BJP's state core committee meeting, where key leaders, including Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and BJP national secretary B L Santhosh, were present.
Chief Minister Sarma expressed confidence in the ruling coalition's prospects, asserting that they are poised to "sweep" the 2026 polls. He emphasized the party's development model as a key strength, stating that there is no cause for concern regarding the election results.
The BJP's decision to contest with its alliance partners underscores its commitment to a united front. The party aims to contest the elections on the plank of all-round development of the state and its core ideological commitments. Currently, the BJP has 64 MLAs, while its allies, Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) has nine, the United People's Party, Liberal (UPPL) seven and the Bodo Peoples' Front (BPF) three.
Sarma highlighted the opportunities presented by the delimitation exercise, which has created new constituencies, allowing the party to field more youth and women candidates. He noted that earlier, the party could contest a maximum of 90 seats, but now has the potential to expand its reach.
While the BJP anticipates support from Assamese Muslims, Sarma stated that he does not expect votes from the 'Miya' community, a term used for Bengali-speaking Muslims. He added that any support from the community would be welcome.
In addition to election strategies, Sarma addressed key policy initiatives of the state government. He affirmed the government's commitment to take strict measures to curb polygamy and what he described as "love Jihad" and "land Jihad". Furthermore, he stated that tough action would be taken against illegal encroachers from the Bengali-speaking Muslim community who are occupying government, forest, professional grazing reserve (PGR), village grazing reserve (VGR), tribal belts, and satra lands. The government also aims to reach a consensus on granting tribal status to six communities in the upcoming assembly session.
The BJP has initiated its poll preparations, forming 36 election sub-committees, which will be announced in the coming days. BJP national secretary B L Santhosh discussed the current political situation of Assam and provided guidance on creating a favorable public narrative for the party. He also assigned responsibilities and tasks to party functionaries.
Legislative Assembly elections are expected to be held in Assam in March–April 2026 to elect 126 members of the Assam Legislative Assembly.
