In an exclusive interview with NDTV on March 31, 2026, Assam Congress chief Gaurav Gogoi intensified his campaign for the upcoming Assembly polls, accusing Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma of practicing a “politics of fear.”
As the state prepares for a single-phase election on April 9, 2026, the political landscape is defined by a high-stakes battle between the BJP-led NDA and the Congress-led Asom Sonmilito Morcha.
The 2026 Assam Election: Key Context
The 2026 elections follow a decade of BJP rule in Assam. Below is a breakdown of the current electoral dynamics:
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Polling Schedule: Voting for all 126 seats will take place on April 9, with the counting of votes scheduled for May 4, 2026.
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Voter Base: Approximately 2.5 crore electors are eligible to vote, including 5.75 lakh first-time voters.
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Main Alliances:
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NDA: Led by the BJP (contesting ~90 seats), with allies Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and Bodoland People’s Front (BPF).
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Asom Sonmilito Morcha: Led by the Congress (contesting ~100 seats), including allies like Raijor Dal (Akhil Gogoi), Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP), and Left parties.
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Gogoi’s Strategy: Inclusive Governance vs. Fear
Gogoi positioned the opposition alliance as a vehicle for “inclusive governance” and “optimism,” contrasting it with the current administration’s alleged concentration of power.
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Decentralized Development: Gogoi promised to shift resources away from a “few industrialists” toward all regional communities.
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Consolidating the Opposition: By downplaying the relevance of the AIUDF (led by Badruddin Ajmal), Gogoi is attempting to consolidate the anti-BJP minority vote under the Congress umbrella to prevent a split that favored the BJP in 2021.
The Statistical Challenge
The Congress faces an uphill battle to bridge the gap from the 2021 Assembly elections and the 2024 Lok Sabha results:
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2021 Performance: The BJP won 60 seats with a 33.2% vote share, while the Congress secured 29 seats with 29.7%.
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The AIUDF Factor: In 2021, the AIUDF won 16 seats. However, recent trackers suggest a decline for the party, with projections for 2026 showing them potentially falling to 0–2 seats as voters shift toward Congress.
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Victory Margin: Analysts note that the vote share difference between the BJP and Congress is slim (often within 2–3%), meaning even a small swing in minority or tea-tribe votes could drastically alter the seat count.
Sarma’s Retort
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has dismissed Gogoi’s challenge, mockingly suggesting that Gogoi is only seen as a Chief Ministerial face in “Pakistan TV news,” highlighting the polarized nature of the campaign as polling day nears.
