Kamal Ghorui
Assam voted across all 126 constituencies on April 9, recording a turnout of over 85%, one of the highest in recent years. The higher participation was seen in both rural and urban areas, indicating widespread voter turnout across the state.The BJP, led by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, is seeking a third consecutive term. The Congress is attempting to regain ground under Gaurav Gogoi, son of former chief minister Tarun Gogoi and deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha.
The contest is between the National Democratic Alliance led by the Bharatiya Janata Party and a divided opposition, with the campaign marked by intensified political exchanges.Exit polls released on Wednesday evening for the contest indicate a clear majority for the incumbent government led by Sarma, with most pollsters projecting a third consecutive term for the Bharatiya Janata Party in the tea-producing state.Beyond the main contest, several constituencies are expected to see closely fought races shaped by legacy factors and narrow margins.
Key battlegrounds to watch out for
1) JalukbariJalukbari, represented by Himanta Biswa Sarma, is Assembly Constituency No. 51 in Assam’s Kamrup Metropolitan district and falls under the Gauhati Lok Sabha constituency. It covers parts of Guwahati city, including the Jalukbari locality, and is known for its educational institutions and connectivity via NH-27.In the 2021 Assembly elections, Sarma of the BJP won the seat with 130,762 votes, securing a 73.52% vote share and defeating Romen Chandra Borthakur of the Indian National Congress by a margin of 92,677 votes. He had earlier contested the seat as a Congress candidate in 2011.2) JorhatJorhat is a general category constituency represented by Congress’s Gaurav Gogoi .The closely contested seat recorded 1,86,273 registered voters in the 2021 Assam Assembly elections, with 1,39,896 valid votes cast.In that election, Hitendra Nath Goswami of the BJP won the seat with 68,321 votes. Rana Goswami of the Congress finished second with 61,833 votes, losing by a margin of 6,488 votes.In the 2016 Assembly elections, the constituency had 1,63,793 electors and 1,30,809 valid votes. Hitendra Nath Goswami retained the seat with 69,209 votes, defeating Rana Goswami, who polled 55,571 votes, with a victory margin of 13,638 votes.3) NaziraDebabrata Saikia, leader of the opposition in Assam, is set to contest once again from Nazira Assembly constituency in Sivasagar district, a seat closely associated with his family. His father, former chief minister Hiteswar Saikia, and his mother Hemoprava Saikia, have both previously represented the constituency.In the 2021 Assam Assembly elections, Nazira had 1,33,974 registered voters, with 1,10,158 valid votes cast. Congress’s Debabrata Saikia won the seat with 52,387 votes, narrowly defeating Mayur Borgohain of the BJP, who secured 51,704 votes, with a margin of 683 votes.4) BarchallaRipun Bora, former Rajya Sabha MP and ex-state Congress president, is back in the electoral contest from Barchalla Assembly constituency in Assam’s Sonitpur district. His earlier experience as a minister and legislator adds significance to his candidature in the seat, which falls under the Tezpur Lok Sabha constituency.Barchalla (No. 72) is a general category constituency covering rural areas around Borchala, with a mix of Assamese, Bodo and Bengali-speaking communities in an agrarian setting.Ganesh Kumar Limbu of the BJP has represented the seat since 2016. In the 2021 Assembly elections, he secured 70,569 votes with a 52% vote share, defeating Ram Prasad Sarma of the Indian National Congress by a margin of 17,782 votes.5) GolaghatGolaghat Assembly constituency is a general category seat located in Golaghat district of Assam. Following the final delimitation exercise notified in August 2023, the constituency has been placed under the newly formed Kaziranga Lok Sabha constituency. Earlier, it was part of the now-abolished Kaliabor Lok Sabha constituency.In the 2021 Assam Assembly elections, Golaghat had 2,05,586 registered voters, with 1,61,284 valid votes cast. Ajanta Neog of the BJP won the seat with 81,651 votes, while Bitupan Saikia of the Congress finished second with 72,326 votes, losing by a margin of 9,325 votes.6) DispurDispur Assembly constituency (No. 52) is a general category seat in Assam’s Kamrup Metropolitan district and falls under the Gauhati Lok Sabha constituency. As part of the state capital region, it covers urban areas including Dispur, Beltola and parts of Guwahati, serving as an administrative and commercial centre.For the 2026 Assam Assembly elections, Pradyut Bordoloi is contesting as the candidate of BJP after resigning from Congress, ending his long association with the party amid allegations of internal mistreatment.In the 2016 Assembly elections, BJP candidate Atul Bora won the seat with 198,378 votes, securing a 71.14% vote share and defeating Congress candidate Akon Bora. He retained the seat in 2021 as well, consolidating the party’s position in the constituency.7) SivasagarSivasagar Assembly constituency, represented by Akhil Gogoi is a general category seat located in Sivasagar district of Assam and is one of the 10 Assembly segments under the Jorhat Lok Sabha constituency.In the 2021 Assam Assembly elections, the constituency had 1,52,087 registered voters, with 1,24,219 valid votes cast. Independent candidate Akhil Gogoi won the seat with 57,219 votes. Surabhi Rajkonwari of BJP finished second with 45,344 votes, losing by a margin of 11,875 votes.8) RupahihatRupahihat Assembly constituency is a general category seat in Assam’s Nagaon district. Following the 2023 delimitation exercise, the constituency continues to be part of the Nagaon Lok Sabha constituency. Earlier, it was part of the erstwhile Kaliabor Lok Sabha constituency, which was later redrawn and renamed as Kaziranga Lok Sabha constituency.For the upcoming polls, Aminul Islam, a three-term MLA is contesting from Rupahihat, adding a political dimension to the constituency race.In the 2021 Assam Assembly elections, the constituency had 2,02,820 registered voters, with 1,80,952 valid votes cast. Nurul Huda of Congress won the seat with 1,32,091 votes, while Najir Hussain of BJP finished second with 25,739 votes, losing by a margin of 1,06,352 votes.9) BokakhatBokakhat Assembly constituency is a general category seat in Assam’s Golaghat district. Following the delimitation exercise, it now falls under the Kaziranga Lok Sabha constituency. Earlier, it was part of the erstwhile Kaliabor Lok Sabha constituency, which was abolished after the redrawing of parliamentary boundaries.In the 2021 Assam Assembly elections, the constituency had 1,47,846 registered voters, with 1,20,427 valid votes cast. Atul Bora of the Asom Gana Parishad won the seat with 72,930 votes. Independent candidate Pranab Doley finished second with 27,749 votes, losing by a margin of 45,181 votes.10) KaliaborKaliabor Assembly constituency is a general category seat in Assam’s Nagaon district. Following the 2023 delimitation exercise, it has been placed under the Kaziranga Lok Sabha constituency. Earlier, it was part of the erstwhile Kaliabor Lok Sabha constituency.In the 2021 Assam Assembly elections, the constituency had 1,47,083 registered voters, with 1,24,746 valid votes cast. Keshab Mahanta of the Asom Gana Parishad won the seat with 73,677 votes, while Prasanta Kumar Saikia of Congress finished second with 44,957 votes, losing by a margin of 28,720 votes.
