Assam Election 2026: Duliajan LAC Heads for Direct BJP vs Congress Fight as Rameswar Teli Replaces Dropped Incumbent

The Duliajan Assembly Constituency in Dibrugarh district is shaping up as a direct two-way contest between the BJP and the Congress in the 2026 Assam Assembly Election, with the BJP's last-minute candidate swap adding an extra layer of political intrigue to the race.

The main fight will be between former Union Minister of State and two-time BJP MLA Rameswar Teli and Congress candidate Dhrubajyoti Gogoi. JMM's Peter Minj and independents Biju Gogoi and Aruna Bora have also filed nominations but are not expected to significantly alter the outcome.

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In a move that drew considerable attention, the BJP replaced sitting MLA Terash Gowala — who had held the Duliajan seat for ten consecutive years, winning in both 2016 and 2021 — with Rameswar Teli ahead of the polls.

Gowala was subsequently elevated to the Rajya Sabha, a move widely interpreted by political observers as a face-saving exit rather than a genuine promotion.

"Replacing your sitting MLA just before an election is an admission that something has gone seriously wrong. The BJP knows Gowala's record on roads and infrastructure was indefensible," said a Duliajan resident.

The BJP's internal reshuffle has given the Congress renewed confidence in a seat it nearly won in 2021.

Dhrubajyoti Gogoi had lost to Gowala by just 8,110 votes that year — polling 46,652 against Gowala's 54,762. Crucially, AJP president and anti-CAA agitation figurehead Lurinjyoti Gogoi had also contested the 2021 election and polled 24,192 votes — widely seen as having split the anti-BJP vote.

Political observers believe that without that split, Dhrubajyoti Gogoi would have won comfortably. With Lurinjyoti Gogoi not in the contest this time, those votes could consolidate in Congress's favour.

Duliajan has a closely contested electoral history. Across nine assembly elections, the Congress and the BJP have each won the seat four times, with the Janata Party winning once in 1978.

Congress MLA Amiya Gogoi dominated the constituency across four decades, winning in 1985, 1991, 1996, and 2011.