From Jalukbari to Dispur: Key Assam constituencies set for high-stakes Congress vs BJP contest

WIth Assam header to polls in a bingle stage on apr 9, the tell is staring at a high-stakes battle. The counting of votes will take place on May 4. Ahead of the elections, the Congress, attempting to capitalise on the anti-incumbency, has promised five key guarantees in its party manifesto, including cash transfers for women, health insurance and land rights if voted to power.Meanwhile, the ruling BJP, which has won the assembly elections in Assam for two consecutive terms now since 2016, has promised protection of land, heritage and dignity of indigenous people and ₹5 lakh crore infrastructure investment in its manifesto.Among the 126 assembly constituencies in the state, there are a few which are deemed to be crucial in the polls, and will as a result witness key high-profile contests. These are:JalukbariThe Jalukbari constituency in Kamrup district, which comes under the Gauhati Lok Sabha constituency, has been represented by Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma since 2001. The Assam CM is seeking to retain the seat for a sixth consecutive term in the polls.The constituency will see Congress’s Bidisha Neog and Independent candidate Dipika Das going up against Sarma in the constituency, which has long been seen as a BJP bastion, partly owing to the Assam CM’s 25-year dominance.Also Read | Himanta Biswa Sarma vs Gaurav Gogoi: Assam’s electoral arena set for a tense face-offThe constituency, with over 2.1 lakh voters and a semi-urban demographic, represents both continuity and change, therefore making it vital for the upcoming elections. Sarma’s influence in the seat is highlighted by his victory margin of over one lakh votes in the constituency in 2021. In the 2021 Assam Assembly elections, Sarma won the seat with 1,30,762 votes, securing 78.4 per cent of the total votes.JorhatJorhat has also emerged as one of the primary focal points of Assam's political battleground, with Assam Pradesh Congress Committee president Gaurav Gogoi in a direct contest with BJP’s incumbent MLA Hitendra Nath Goswami for the seat.The electoral dynamics in this state are influenced by tea garden communities, with the Ahom Hindu population and Assamese-speaking voters making up a significant portion of the electorate.Gogoi, the sitting Lok Sabha MP from Jorhat, is the son of former chief minister Tarun Gogoi. His contention from the seat has significantly raised the stakes, with the Indian National Congress eyeing an end to the decade-long BJP government in the state. Jorhat, which was once a prominent colonial and administrative hub during British rule, is now widely recognised as Assam’s “tea capital”, ANI news agency reported.Goswami has held the seat since 2016 after earlier representing it as a member of the Asom Gana Parishad. While his grassroots support makes him a formidable contender, Gogoi’s decision to enter the fray has made it a closely-fought one with no clear frontrunner.DispurThe constituency, the capital of Assam and a key locality within the Guwahati metropolitan area, will witness a direct contest between a “rebel” and a “turncoat”, according to ANI. The constituency will see a battle between a former Congress leader now contesting for the ruling BJP, and a former BJP loyalist now fighting as a rebel independent candidate.BJP’s nominee Pradyut Bordoloi, a former Congress leader, will face a challenge from ex-BJP veteran Jayant Kumar Das. While Bordoloi is a new entry to the BJP, the party has given him a ticket given his administrative experience and community support. Das, who was recently expelled from the BJP for six years, is contesting as an Independent candidate after resigning from the party.The constituency has a population of 327,750, and was once a Congress stronghold. However, the seat, along with power in Assam, shifted to BJP a decade ago. Atul Bora won the constituency in 2016 with a decisive margin of over 1.3 lakh votes, and retained the seat in 2021. However, the sitting MLA was dropped this year, and Bordoloi fielded after he deflected to the BJP.Also Read | Assam elections and the CAA factor: The act and its impact on assembly polls 2026, explainedKhowangKhowang, another crucial tea belt constituency, is the setting wherein a high-stakes battle will play out for dominance in the political landscape of Upper Assam. The rural seat, which usually proves to complement Assam’s larger verdict, will see an electoral battle between sitting BJP MLA Chakradhar Gogoi, and Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) president Lurinjyoti Gogoi. While Chakradhar is a two-term incumbent, Lurinjyoti’s AJP is part of the opposition alliance in the state.Chakradhar, given his two terms as a representative of the constituency, has built a strong connection with the local Ahom and Tea Tribe communities, ANI reported. For Lurinjyoti, support could come from different areas, including the youth and those concerned with identity politics and the implementation of Clause 6. An Independent candidate, Biju Dowarah, has also entered the electoral race. Dowarah’s assets and local influence can split the votes of the two other candidates in the constituency.SilcharLocated in the Barak Valley, Silchar assembly constituency was once the stronghold of Congress owing to late political leader Santosh Mohan Dev. The constituency has also been represented by his wife Bithika Dev and daughter Sushmita Dev, who is a TMC MP at present.However, the BJP’s Dipayan Chakraborty won the seat in 2021, defeating the Congress by over 37,000 votes. BJP has fielded former Lok Sabha MP Rajdeep Roy from the seat in the 2026 Assembly polls. He will be going up against Congress nominee Abhijit Paul.