Assam Gears Up for High-Stakes Assembly Battle
- By Thetripurapost Desk, Guwahati
- Feb 22, 2026
- 1128
As Assam approaches what is widely anticipated to be one of its most fiercely contested Assembly elections in recent memory, political parties are recalibrating alliance frameworks and fine-tuning candidate selection mechanisms.
The strategic thrust lies in mitigating anti-incumbency sentiment while rewarding leaders who have demonstrated sustained grassroots credibility and organisational efficacy.
The Bharatiya Janata Party is reportedly contemplating a sweeping overhaul of its candidate roster.
Party insiders suggest the leadership is inclined towards a calibrated generational transition, mirroring its approach in Bihar, where younger leaders were foregrounded to rejuvenate the party’s public image and galvanise its cadre base.
With Nitin Gadkari at the helm of the organisation, a similar recalibration is expected in Assam. Sources indicate that nearly 30 sitting MLAs could be denied renomination, particularly those whose performance metrics and constituency feedback have fallen short of expectations.
The vetting process is said to be anchored in granular performance audits, data-driven electoral analysis and extensive ground-level intelligence, aimed at pre-empting anti-incumbency backlash and neutralising opposition narratives. The BJP is likely to defer the release of its candidate list as it continues to scrutinise electoral data and field assessments.
Additionally, the party may induct select recent entrants into the fray, signalling both strategic expansion and institutional renewal.
Conversely, the Indian National Congress has intensified its electoral preparations, with Priyanka Gandhi Vadra assuming a pivotal role in sculpting the party’s campaign architecture.
As chair of the screening committee, she is overseeing the shortlisting of aspirants, evaluating winnability indices and harmonising social and regional representational considerations.
Her consultations with district and state leadership are aimed at assimilating nuanced local feedback and strengthening organisational coherence. Party sources affirm that the Congress is prioritising candidates with demonstrable grassroots resonance and unimpeachable public records, supported by empirical assessments and inputs from affiliated party wings.
Priyanka Gandhi’s active involvement is widely perceived as a bid to invigorate cadre morale, consolidate internal unity and sharpen the party’s countervailing narrative against the BJP.
The Congress is concurrently broadening its outreach among youth, women, tea garden workers and minority communities, while reinforcing coordination between the state unit and central leadership ahead of this high-stakes electoral confrontation.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission of India is expected to announce the poll schedule imminently. Earlier this week, the Commission’s full bench convened with representatives of recognised political parties in Guwahati to assess preparedness and solicit recommendations.
Most parties advocated for polling to be conducted in a single phase—or at most two—and urged that the electoral exercise conclude prior to Bohag Bihu, the state’s most significant cultural observance.