The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has returned to power in Assam for a third straight term with a strong mandate, winning 102 out of 126 seats in the Assembly elections. The result gives the alliance a clear two-thirds majority and marks one of its best performances in the state so far. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led the victory, securing 82 seats out of the 90 it contested. This is the first time the party has crossed the majority mark on its own in Assam. Its allies, Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and Bodoland People’s Front (BPF), won 10 seats each, helping the NDA reach a total of 102.The BJP’s performance shows a clear rise from previous elections. The party had won 60 seats each in 2016 and 2021. This time, it has expanded its reach across regions and strengthened its support base. On the other side, the Opposition had a disappointing outcome. The Indian National Congress contested 99 seats but managed to win only 19. Its allies performed poorly. The All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) and Raijor Dal won two seats each, while the All India Trinamool Congress got just one seat. Other parties in the alliance failed to win any seat.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma retained his Jalukbari seat for the sixth time in a row. He defeated Congress candidate Bidisha Neog by a margin of 89,434 votes. In a major setback for the Congress, state president Gaurav Gogoi lost the Jorhat seat to BJP candidate Hitendranath Goswami. Several senior BJP leaders held on to their seats. Among them were Ajanta Neog, Ranoj Pegu, Pijush Hazarika and Ashok Singhal. Assembly Speaker Biswajit Daimary also won from Tamulpur. From the alliance partners, AGP leaders Atul Bora and Keshav Mahanta retained their seats. BPF candidates Charan Boro and Sewli Mohilary also won in key areas of the Bodoland region. Among the Opposition winners, Congress candidates like Wajed Ali Choudhury, Jakir Hussain Sikdar and Rekibuddin Ahmed managed to secure victories. AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal won from Binnakandi, while Raijor Dal leader Akhil Gogoi retained his seat in Sibsagar.
At the same time, several well-known Opposition leaders lost their seats. Leader of the Opposition Debabrata Saikia and Assam Jatiya Parishad president Lurinjyoti Saikia were among those defeated. The number of women elected remained low. Out of 59 women candidates, only six won. Four of them are from the BJP, while one each is from AGP, BPF and Congress. Polling for all 126 seats was held in a single phase on April 9, with 722 candidates in the fray. The results clearly show a strong mandate in favour of the NDA, while raising serious questions for the Opposition about its shrinking presence in Assam politics.
