Assam Election 2026: Big bang in BJP’s first list! Himanta Biswa Sarma again in the fray from Jalukbari, veterans from Congress got tickets

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has released its first list for the Assam Assembly elections 2026, which has intensified the stir in the politics of the state. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma will once again contest from his traditional and safe seat Jalukbari. The biggest thing in this list is that BJP has played a big bet on the senior leaders who have left the Congress, while a strong message has been given by canceling the tickets of 11 sitting MLAs. ‘Invincible’ fort of Jalukbari: CM Sarma preparing for the sixth victory. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has been continuously holding the Jalukbari seat since 2001. He has won from here thrice on Congress ticket and twice on BJP ticket. The central leadership has once again expressed full confidence in Sarma, who was the architect of BJP’s historic comeback in Assam in 2021. There is talk in the political circles that if BJP returns to power, Himanta Biswa Sarma will again take charge as the Chief Minister. Big break in Congress: Gaurav Gogoi gets double blow. Difficulties have increased for Assam Congress President Gaurav Gogoi just before the elections. Two strong pillars of the party – former state president Bhupen Borah and MP Pradyut Bordoloi have left the Congress and joined the BJP. Bhupen Borah: He left the party raising questions on the leadership of Gaurav Gogoi. BJP has made him a candidate from Bihpuria seat. Pradyut Bordoloi: Two-time MP and former minister Bordoloi accused Congress of insulting him. BJP has given them tickets from important seats like Dispur. To give tickets to these two turncoats, BJP has cleared the cards of its sitting MLAs, Amiya Kumar Bhuyan and Atul Bora. BJP’s strategy: Tickets of 11 MLAs cut, trust in ministers intact. It is clear from the first list of BJP that performance is the only criterion for the ticket. The party has not given a chance to 11 sitting MLAs this time, which also includes big names like former state president Siddharth Bhattacharya. However, confidence has been expressed in key faces and ministers of the government: Piyush Hazarika, Jayanta Malla Barua and Ashok Singhal will contest from their old seats. Ajanta Neog and Chandramohan Patwari have also been fielded again. Assembly Speaker Biswajit Daimri will contest from Tamulpur, while former Speaker Hitendra Nath Goswami will face Gaurav Gogoi directly in Jorhat. Counterattack: “This unfortunate decision” On his close ones joining BJP, Gaurav Gogoi has called it ‘unfortunate’. He said that the party had given full respect to Pradyut Bordoloi and had also offered ticket to his family, yet he compromised the ideology for personal interest. Now it has to be seen on which other faces in BJP’s second list (38 candidates) and whether Congress will be able to recover from this disintegration.