Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has officially marked 2026 as the election year for the state, declaring the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) primary objective is to secure a return to power with a strong and decisive mandate. The announcement came during a government event in Boko, Kamrup district, on Wednesday.
BJP's Preparedness and Electoral Roadmap
Addressing the media on the sidelines of a programme where financial assistance was distributed to women entrepreneurs, CM Sarma expressed confidence in his party's readiness. He stated that the BJP has completed its organisational groundwork and is fully prepared to enter the election period. "New Year is election year. We have only one prime goal — to form the BJP government again in Assam," Sarma asserted.
He emphasized that both party activities and government work are progressing simultaneously, which he believes will prevent any difficulties in approaching the polls, expected in early 2026. The Chief Minister's comments set the stage for the upcoming political battle in the state.
Massive Financial Push for Women Empowerment
The event itself underscored a key pillar of the government's strategy: empowering women, who Sarma acknowledged were significant in BJP's past electoral victories. With the aim of building an Atmanirbhar Assam (self-reliant Assam), the Chief Minister distributed Rs 10,000 each to 33,861 women entrepreneurs from the Boko-Chaygaon assembly constituency on New Year's Eve.
Sarma provided substantial data on the scale of this initiative. He revealed that 16 lakh women have already received seed capital under the Mukhyamantri Mahila Udyamita Abhiyaan (MMUA) scheme. Furthermore, he promised that all beneficiaries across Assam would receive their financial support by the first week of February.
The grand vision involves around 32 lakh women from self-help groups ultimately benefiting from the mission, with the state government committing a staggering Rs 3,200 crore for the initiative. Sarma highlighted that this is the first time a scheme of such magnitude has been launched to promote women's development in Assam.
Coalition Dynamics and Broader Political Context
Meanwhile, the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), a key ally in the ruling coalition, held its year-ender media interaction on the same day. The party underlined the importance of staying firmly with the BJP to pursue its long-standing goal of fully implementing the 1985 Assam Accord. This accord, signed after the six-year Assam Agitation (1979-1985), remains a central political issue in the state.
This alignment suggests the ruling alliance is consolidating its position as it heads into the crucial election year. The combination of welfare schemes targeting a large voter base and a unified coalition front appears to be the cornerstone of the BJP-led alliance's strategy for the 2026 Assam Legislative Assembly elections.
