Guwahati, Assam – Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced Sunday that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has finalized its seat-sharing arrangement for the upcoming Assam Legislative Assembly election, expected to accept place in March or April. The announcement, made at the state BJP headquarters, signals a key step forward in preparations for the polls, which will be the first held in the state following the delimitation exercise completed in 2023.
Sarma stated that the alliance is “complete” and that the distribution of seats among constituent parties has been determined. He indicated that the state leadership will soon present a list of probable candidates to Union Home Minister Amit Shah for final approval. The NDA in Assam comprises the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL) and Bodoland People’s Front (BPF). The Rabha Hasong Joutha Sangram Samiti (RHJSS) and Janashakti Party (JP) are also members of the alliance, though they currently do not hold any seats in the assembly.
The confirmation of the seat-sharing agreement follows previous statements by Sarma. On January 7, he suggested a formalization of the agreement was likely by February 15, a timeline that was subsequently adjusted. Earlier, on December 5, Sarma had anticipated finalizing the arrangement by January 15.
The upcoming election will be held for all 126 seats in the Assam Legislative Assembly. Currently, the BJP holds a majority with 64 seats. The AGP has nine, the UPPL has seven, and the BPF has three. In the opposition, the Indian National Congress holds 26 seats, the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) has 15, and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has one. One seat is held by an Independent legislator.
The delimitation exercise of 2023 has significantly altered the political landscape, leading to changes in seat boundaries and reservation status. This has introduced complexities for both the ruling NDA and opposition coalitions as they strategize for the election. The exercise involved redrawing constituency lines and reclassifying seats, impacting the electoral calculations of various parties.
