Assam witnessed a historic voter turnout of over 85% across all 126 constituencies on April 9, marking one of the highest participation rates in recent years. The surge was observed in both rural and urban areas, reflecting widespread enthusiasm among voters.
Main Contestants
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), led by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, is vying for a third consecutive term. The Congress party, under the leadership of Gaurav Gogoi—son of former chief minister Tarun Gogoi and Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha—is striving to regain its foothold. The election is primarily a contest between the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by the BJP and a fragmented opposition, with the campaign characterized by intense political exchanges.
Exit Polls Predict BJP Victory
Exit polls released on Wednesday evening indicate a clear majority for the incumbent government, with most pollsters projecting a third consecutive term for the BJP in the tea-producing state. Beyond the main contest, several constituencies are expected to witness closely fought battles shaped by legacy factors and narrow margins.
Key Battlegrounds to Watch
1) Jalukbari
Jalukbari, represented by Himanta Biswa Sarma, is Assembly Constituency No. 51 in Kamrup Metropolitan district, under the Gauhati Lok Sabha constituency. It covers parts of Guwahati city, including the Jalukbari locality, known for educational institutions and connectivity via NH-27. In the 2021 elections, Sarma won with 130,762 votes (73.52% vote share), defeating Congress's Romen Chandra Borthakur by a margin of 92,677 votes.
2) Jorhat
Jorhat is a general category seat represented by Congress's Gaurav Gogoi. In 2021, the constituency had 1,86,273 registered voters with 1,39,896 valid votes. BJP's Hitendra Nath Goswami won with 68,321 votes, while Congress's Rana Goswami secured 61,833 votes, losing by 6,488 votes. In 2016, Goswami retained the seat with 69,209 votes, defeating Rana Goswami by 13,638 votes.
3) Nazira
Debabrata Saikia, Leader of the Opposition in Assam, is contesting from Nazira in Sivasagar district—a seat with family legacy. His father, former chief minister Hiteswar Saikia, and mother Hemoprava Saikia have both represented it. In 2021, Saikia won with 52,387 votes, narrowly defeating BJP's Mayur Borgohain (51,704 votes) by a margin of 683 votes.
4) Barchalla
Ripun Bora, former Rajya Sabha MP and ex-state Congress president, is contesting from Barchalla in Sonitpur district (Tezpur Lok Sabha constituency). The general category seat has a mix of Assamese, Bodo, and Bengali-speaking communities. BJP's Ganesh Kumar Limbu has represented it since 2016, winning in 2021 with 70,569 votes (52% share), defeating Congress's Ram Prasad Sarma by 17,782 votes.
5) Golaghat
Golaghat, a general category seat in Golaghat district, now falls under the newly formed Kaziranga Lok Sabha constituency after the 2023 delimitation. In 2021, BJP's Ajanta Neog won with 81,651 votes, defeating Congress's Bitupan Saikia (72,326 votes) by 9,325 votes.
6) Dispur
Dispur (No. 52) is a general category seat in Kamrup Metropolitan district, under Gauhati Lok Sabha constituency. It covers urban areas including Dispur, Beltola, and parts of Guwahati. For the 2026 elections, Pradyut Bordoloi is contesting as BJP candidate after resigning from Congress. In 2016, BJP's Atul Bora won with 198,378 votes (71.14% share), defeating Congress's Akon Bora, and retained the seat in 2021.
7) Sivasagar
Sivasagar, represented by Akhil Gogoi, is a general category seat in Sivasagar district, under Jorhat Lok Sabha constituency. In 2021, independent candidate Akhil Gogoi won with 57,219 votes, defeating BJP's Surabhi Rajkonwari (45,344 votes) by 11,875 votes.
8) Rupahihat
Rupahihat is a general category seat in Nagaon district, under Nagaon Lok Sabha constituency. For the upcoming polls, three-term MLA Aminul Islam is contesting. In 2021, Congress's Nurul Huda won with 1,32,091 votes, defeating BJP's Najir Hussain (25,739 votes) by a massive margin of 1,06,352 votes.
9) Bokakhat
Bokakhat, a general category seat in Golaghat district, now falls under Kaziranga Lok Sabha constituency. In 2021, Asom Gana Parishad's Atul Bora won with 72,930 votes, defeating independent candidate Pranab Doley (27,749 votes) by 45,181 votes.
10) Kaliabor
Kaliabor, a general category seat in Nagaon district, is now under Kaziranga Lok Sabha constituency. In 2021, Asom Gana Parishad's Keshab Mahanta won with 73,677 votes, defeating Congress's Prasanta Kumar Saikia (44,957 votes) by 28,720 votes.
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