Guwahati, Nov 22: Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday said that the BJP-led NDA alliance has decided to contest 103 seats in the upcoming 2026 Assembly polls in the state.
Speaking to reporters, Sarma said, “We can contest 103 of the 126 seats in Assam. But that does not mean we cannot contest in the remaining seats. Based on population patterns, the BJP and our allies can effectively reach 103 seats. Our footprint will be in these 103 constituencies.”
He said the recent delimitation exercise has significantly altered the political landscape in Assam. While the BJP earlier contested 90 constituencies, 10–15 new seats have now emerged with no sitting MLAs.
“Due to delimitation, many new constituencies have been created, and we will give preference to young candidates to contest from these seats,” the chief minister said.
Sarma also claimed that the BJP continues to receive votes from Assamese Muslims, while clarifying that the party does not expect support from Miya Muslims. He pointed out that the party secures around 30,000 Muslim votes in his own constituency, indicating continued backing from Assamese Muslim voters.
“For the last 15 days, everything has changed and a narrative of development is visible everywhere. We have already started our preparations for the upcoming polls. Our planning for the 2026 elections begins today,” he said.
The BJP currently has 64 MLAs in the Assembly. Its allies under the NDA umbrella include the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), the United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL), and the Bodo People’s Front (BPF).
