BJP fields Himanta Sarma from Jalukbari, new entrant Bordoloi gets Dispur seat in Assam polls

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has released its first list of candidates for the upcoming Assam Assembly elections, naming Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma from Jalukbari and newly inducted leader Pradyut Bordoloi from Dispur.

The elections are scheduled to be held on April 9, with counting of votes on May 4.

Sarma, who has represented Jalukbari since 2001, will be seeking a sixth consecutive term from the constituency, making it one of the key seats in the state.

A major highlight of the list is the inclusion of Bordoloi, a sitting Lok Sabha MP from Nagaon who recently resigned from the Congress and joined the BJP. He has been fielded from Dispur, the state capital’s constituency.

The BJP’s first list includes around 80-plus candidates and reflects the party’s strategy of combining incumbents with new entrants ahead of the high-stakes election.

The inclusion of former Congress leaders in the list signals an ongoing realignment in Assam’s political landscape, with the BJP attempting to strengthen its position by inducting experienced leaders from rival parties.

Apart from Bordoloi, other leaders who have crossed over from the Congress have also been accommodated in the candidate list, indicating the party’s effort to broaden its base before the polls.

The announcement marks the formal beginning of the BJP’s campaign for the 2026 Assembly elections, where the party will seek to retain power in the northeastern state.