Assam is all set for the 126-member Assam Assembly elections on Thursday. The election is being held in a single phase, with a total of 722 candidates trying their luck.
The ruling NDA alliance includes the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), and Bodo Peoples’ Front (BPF), while the opposition alliance includes the Indian National Congress, Raijor Dal, Assam Jatiya Parishad, Communist Party of India (Marxist), All Party Hill Leaders Conference, and Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation. These alliances will be vying for seats in an election that was fraught with high and bitter rhetoric, spearheaded by the Chief Minister himself against minority communities, particularly Muslims and Gaurav Gogoi.
The stakes are high in Assam, as it remains highly polarised, providing opportunities for politicians to capitalise on divisions. The results will be announced on May 4 but this election will be remembered for a long time, as it has polarised the state not only politically but also along lines of identity. While all parties have claimed to be the harbingers of identity and the rightful protectors of the Assamese legacy, the state remains burdened by high unemployment and underemployment, concerns over peace, and issues relating to migration, particularly from Bangladesh, which have long dictated its politics.