BJP Drops 15 Sitting MLAs, Including Cabinet Minister, in Assam Poll Candidate List

Guwahati: In a significant pre-election shake-up, the Bharatiya Janata Party has denied tickets to 15 sitting MLAs, including a cabinet minister, in its first list of candidates for the 2026 Assam Assembly elections, signalling a decisive push to counter anti-incumbency and recalibrate its electoral strategy.

The constituencies affected by the decision include Bihpuria, Bijni, Hojai, Katigorah, Silchar, Udharbond , Abhayapuri, Guwahati Central–Dispur, Palashbari, Biswanath, Borsola, Bihali, Bokajan, Diphu and Haflong, where the party has opted to field new faces instead of renomination for incumbent legislators.

The move is being seen as one of the boldest course corrections undertaken by the party in recent electoral cycles in the state.

The most high-profile change has come in the Guwahati Central–Dispur belt, where the BJP has fielded Pradyut Bordoloi, a recent entrant from the Congress, replacing the sitting MLA.

The denial of tickets to a cabinet minister Nandita Garlosa for Halflong seat among the nine sitting MLAs has added a layer of political intrigue, highlighting that even senior leaders have not been immune to the party’s emphasis on winnability over incumbency.

While the BJP leadership has not officially detailed the reasons behind each exclusion, party insiders suggest that local feedback, performance assessments, and evolving caste-community dynamics played a crucial role in the selection process.

Across the Barak Valley constituencies of Katigorah and Silchar, as well as in Hojai, the changes indicate a conscious attempt by the party to fine-tune its approach in regions where electoral contests are expected to be closely fought.

Similarly, in Abhayapuri and Palashbari, both politically sensitive seats, the BJP appears to be seeking a reset to pre-empt anti-incumbency sentiments.

In the hill constituency of Haflong, the decision to drop the sitting MLA and cabinet minister is being interpreted as part of a broader strategy to strengthen the party’s outreach in the autonomous and tribal-dominated regions, where local dynamics often differ sharply from the plains.

The sweeping changes come under the leadership of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who has consistently emphasised adaptability and electoral pragmatism as key pillars of the BJP’s strategy in Assam.

By introducing new candidates while also accommodating leaders who have crossed over from rival parties, the BJP is attempting to strike a balance between organisational loyalty and electoral viability.

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