The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) secured a decisive victory in the 2026 Assam Legislative Assembly elections, ensuring a third consecutive term for the party in the state. The results, declared on May 4, 2026, saw the NDA cross the majority mark comfortably in the 126-member assembly.
This outcome marks a significant moment in Assam’s political history, establishing the BJP’s continued dominance in the northeastern state and reaffirming the electorate’s mandate for the incumbent government’s development and governance agenda. The victory also represents the first time an alliance has surpassed the 100-seat mark in Assam’s assembly elections.
What was announced
The Election Commission of India (ECI) officially declared the results for the 2026 Assam Legislative Assembly elections on May 4, 2026. The BJP, contesting independently, emerged as the single largest party, winning 82 seats, a significant increase from its 60 seats in the 2021 elections. Along with its allies, the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and the Bodoland People’s Front (BPF), the NDA alliance collectively secured 102 seats in the 126-member Assembly.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma retained his Jalukbari constituency for a sixth consecutive time, securing a decisive victory with 1,12,186 votes and defeating his Congress rival by a margin of over 80,000 votes. Other prominent BJP winners included ministers Pijush Hazarika from Jagiroad, Ranoj Pegu from Dhemaji, and Ajanta Neog from Golaghat. Conversely, Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi lost the Jorhat seat to BJP’s Hitendra Nath Goswami by 23,182 votes.
Why it matters
The BJP-led NDA’s third consecutive term in Assam underscores a clear voter preference for continuity in governance and development policies. This victory solidifies the BJP’s strategic foothold in the Northeast, a region critical to the party’s national expansion plans. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma described the win as a “historic mandate” for development, “Nari Shakti,” Assamese identity, and the vision of a “Viksit” Assam.
The outcome also reshapes the opposition landscape in the state. The Congress, which led the Asom Sonmilito Morcha, saw its tally decline further to 19 seats, down from 29 in the previous election, marking its poorest performance since losing power in 2016. The All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) secured two seats, while Raijor Dal also won two seats. The significant margin of victory for the NDA suggests a strong endorsement of the government’s initiatives, including welfare schemes, infrastructure projects, and its stance on issues like citizenship and illegal migration.
Background
Assam has a 126-member Legislative Assembly, with 64 seats required for a majority. The BJP first came to power in Assam in 2016, ending the Congress’s three-term rule. In the 2021 Assembly elections, the BJP-led alliance secured 75 seats, with the BJP winning 60 on its own. Himanta Biswa Sarma, who had joined the BJP in 2015 after a long career with the Congress, became Chief Minister in 2021.
Leading up to the 2026 elections, the political discourse was dominated by issues such as employment, flood management, infrastructure development, Assamese identity, and migration. The BJP’s campaign focused on its administrative record, welfare schemes, and infrastructure growth, positioning itself as a stable and growth-oriented government. An important factor in this election was the delimitation exercise conducted in Assam in 2023, which redrew constituency boundaries. Analysts suggested this exercise reduced the number of constituencies where Muslim voters played a decisive role from around 35 to about 23, potentially impacting the electoral math.
The opposition, led by the Indian National Congress, formed the Asom Sonmilito Morcha, an alliance of eight parties, in November 2025 with the aim of challenging the BJP. Their campaign highlighted concerns about unemployment, inflation, and governance issues. Polling for all 126 Assembly constituencies was held on April 9, 2026. The election recorded a historic voter turnout of approximately 85.96%, the highest ever since the first polls in 1951, reflecting strong civic participation.
Key details
The BJP’s individual seat count of 82 allowed it to cross the simple majority mark of 64 seats on its own for the first time. The combined vote share of the BJP and its allies stood at 48%, a significant increase from previous elections. The BJP’s standalone vote share rose to 37.81%, up from 33.6% in 2016 and 33% in 2021. In contrast, the Congress alliance polled approximately 29.84% of the vote share, a marginal slip from 30% in 2021.
The final seat distribution across the 126-member Assam Legislative Assembly is as follows:
- BJP: 82 seats
- INC: 19 seats
- AGP: 10 seats
- BPF: 10 seats
- AIUDF: 2 seats
- Raijor Dal (RJRD): 2 seats
- All India Trinamool Congress (AITC): 1 seat
The high voter turnout was also notably driven by women voters, who surpassed male voters in numbers at many polling booths. Chief Minister Sarma attributed the high participation from indigenous Assamese people to the increased vote percentage in areas traditionally not dominated by immigrant Muslim votes.
Reactions
“The huge mandate reflects the mood of the people — from Barak to Brahmaputra, and Upper to Lower Assam — who firmly stood with the narrative of development and identity,” Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said, thanking the people for reposing their trust in the BJP. He added that the party’s efforts to place Assam among the country’s top five states would continue with greater vigour.
Sarma also commented on the opposition’s campaign, stating, “People rejected this and ensured the defeat of two of the three Gogois.” He further criticised the Congress for its alleged “dirty politics” over the late music icon Zubeen Garg, suggesting it alienated voters.
On the other hand, the Congress expressed disappointment with the results. Assam Pradesh Congress Committee president Gaurav Gogoi took moral responsibility for the party’s defeat.
“We have come to know from people that they could not believe the margins of defeats in many constituencies. Contrary to people’s and our expectations, we did not see neck to neck contests in those seats,” Gaurav Gogoi said, while also raising questions about the fairness and transparency of the electoral process.
Raijor Dal president Akhil Gogoi criticised the opposition alliance’s campaign strategy, citing a lack of coordination, weak planning, and absence of unified leadership as contributing factors to their defeat.
What’s next
Following the declaration of results, the BJP leadership moved swiftly to form the government, with Himanta Biswa Sarma expected to be sworn in as Chief Minister for a second consecutive term. The new government is anticipated to continue its focus on governance indicators such as employment, infrastructure development, and public service delivery. The Congress has indicated it will play the role of a “proactive opposition,” conducting an internal review of its electoral performance and continuing to raise public issues.