The Bharatiya Janata Party retained power in Assam after winning 82 of the 126 assembly seats in the elections held on 9 April, while its alliance partners secured 20 additional seats. The result marked another major milestone in the BJP’s continued political expansion in the northeast, a region once dominated by the Congress party and smaller regional formations.
Sarma, who represents the Jalukbari constituency on the northwestern outskirts of Guwahati, has held the seat continuously since 2001 despite changing political affiliations during his political career. Before joining the BJP in 2015, he served as a Congress leader and minister in the government headed by former Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi. Gogoi’s son, Gaurav Gogoi, who currently leads the opposition in Assam, lost the recent election from the Jorhat constituency.
Political observers have long described Sarma’s departure from the Congress and his move to the BJP, along with several loyal legislators, as a turning point in the BJP’s rise across northeastern India. Since joining the party, Sarma has emerged as one of the BJP’s key strategists in the region, helping build alliances with local groups and expand the party’s influence in states including Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, and Tripura.
During the tenure of former Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, which began in 2016, Sarma was widely regarded as the organisational force driving the BJP’s expansion campaign across the northeast. He became Chief Minister in 2021 and, following the latest electoral victory, has further consolidated his standing within the party hierarchy.
Party leaders and supporters have credited Sarma’s aggressive political campaigns, welfare initiatives, and strong organisational control for the BJP’s continued success in Assam. Supporters describe him as an efficient administrator focused on infrastructure development, including roads and bridges, along with welfare programmes aimed at economically weaker sections. Among the most prominent schemes is the Orunodoi programme, which provides financial assistance to women from low-income households.
At the same time, Sarma’s political rise has also drawn criticism over what opponents describe as divisive political messaging focused on migration and identity, issues that have shaped Assam’s politics for decades. Immigration from neighbouring Bangladesh remains one of the most sensitive political subjects in the state, where debates over language, land rights, and cultural identity have consistently influenced electoral outcomes.
Opposition parties and human rights groups have accused the BJP government in Assam of targeting minorities, particularly Bengali-speaking Muslims. Several of Sarma’s policies related to Islamic educational institutions and child marriage laws have triggered political controversy. Earlier this year, an artificial intelligence-generated video shared by the Assam BJP unit appeared to show Sarma firing at images of political opponents wearing Muslim skull caps. The video was later deleted following criticism from opposition parties and civil society organisations.
Sarma and BJP leaders have rejected the allegations, maintaining that their policies are intended to safeguard Assamese cultural identity and address illegal immigration concerns.
The swearing-in ceremony in Guwahati drew large crowds from across Assam. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, several Union ministers, and BJP Chief Ministers from multiple states attended the event. Alongside Sarma, four additional legislators, including two from the BJP and two from allied regional parties, also took oath as ministers in the new government.
According to Akhil Ranjan Dutta, Professor of Political Science at Gauhati University, Sarma’s political strategy in Assam has operated on three major fronts: identity politics, targeted voter outreach, and development-focused governance.
Dutta stated that the BJP under Sarma attempted to bring indigenous communities closer to a broader Hindu identity while portraying certain groups as outsiders. At the same time, he said the party effectively connected with women, young voters, farmers, and small business owners through welfare schemes and carefully targeted political messaging.
With another decisive electoral mandate, Himanta Biswa Sarma has further strengthened both his authority in Assam and his influence within the Bharatiya Janata Party, positioning himself as one of the central figures in the party’s broader political strategy across eastern and northeastern India
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