The 2026 Assam assembly election delivered a decisive victory for the Bharatiya Janata Party, which won 102 of the 126 seats, securing a third consecutive term in the state. The result ensured the continuation of the BJP-led government under chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.The Congress-led Asom Sonmilito Morcha suffered a major setback, finishing with 21 seats. Congress itself won 19 seats, down from its previous tally, while alliance partners failed to make significant gains.One of the most closely watched contests was in Jorhat, where Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi lost to BJP’s Hitendra Nath Goswami by 23,182 votes. The election marked Gogoi’s first attempt at entering state assembly politics. Following the results, Congress’s Assam poll in-charge Bhanwar Jitendra Singh resigned.Among other parties, the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) won two seats, while Raijor Dal also secured two seats.The election recorded a voter turnout of 85.96%, the highest in the state’s assembly poll history, according to Election Commission data. This was an increase of 3.54 percentage points compared with the previous election. Women voters recorded strong participation across several constituencies.The BJP campaign focused on welfare schemes, infrastructure projects, law and order, and issues linked to citizenship and illegal migration. The opposition alliance campaigned on unemployment, inflation and governance-related issues.The BJP had entered the election as the incumbent after winning the 2021 assembly polls and retaining power in the state. The 2026 result extended the party’s run in Assam, a key state for the BJP in the Northeast.Following the declaration of results, the BJP leadership moved quickly to form the government, with Himanta Biswa Sarma sworn in as chief minister for a second consecutive term along with members of his cabinet.The outcome also reshaped the opposition landscape in the state, with Congress remaining the principal opposition party despite the reduced tally.
