State Gears Up for Panchayat Polls Tomorrow: Key Issues That Unfolded During Campaigns

The campaign for the first phase of the panchayat elections in Assam, scheduled for May 2, concluded on Wednesday. Polling will take place in 14 districts: Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Charaideo, Sivasagar, Majuli, Jorhat, Golaghat, Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Sonitpur, Biswanath, Cachar, Hailakandi, and Sribhumi.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma led the campaign for the ruling NDA, accompanied by Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and BJP state president Dilip Saikia. Congress leaders, including Deputy Leader of Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi, MPs Pradyut Bordoloi and Rakibul Hussain, and state unit president Bhupen Borah, also campaigned for their party candidates.

For the first time after constituency delimitation, the panchayat elections will be held in two phases on May 2 and May 7 across 27 districts. Polling will take place from 7:30 am to 4:30 pm on both days. In case of any repolling, the first phase will be held on May 4 and the second phase on May 9. The counting of votes for both phases will occur on May 11.

A total of 348 Zila Parishad and Anchalik Parishad candidates have already been elected unopposed, with the NDA securing 325 seats, including 37 Zila Parishad and 288 Anchalik Panchayat seats.

The second phase of polling will be held in Dhubri, South Salmara, Mankachar, Goalpara, Bongaigaon, Barpeta, Bajali, Nalbari, Kamrup, Kamrup Metro, Hojai, Nagaon, Morigaon, and Darrang.

The election will see 1,80,36,682 voters across 25,007 polling stations. This includes 21,920 Gram Panchayat members, with 10,883 reserved for women, and various other reserved seats across different levels of panchayat. Amidst all this, several significant events took place during the election campaigning period, adding to the intensity of the lead-up to the panchayat elections in Assam.

Election Chaos

During the election campaigning phase, a shocking incident occurred in Dumdumia, Dhing, when a group of 15–20 masked miscreants attacked the convoy of Member of Parliament Pradyut Bordoloi and MLA Sibamoni Bora. The attackers vandalized the vehicles with rods, causing significant damage before fleeing the scene. Bordoloi condemned the incident, accusing Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma of orchestrating the attack. Police launched an investigation into the matter. It was later revealed that the attack had been orchestrated by Imdadul Islam, a leader who had been expelled from the Congress party in Bhuragaon.

Fragile Front: Borah Blasts Gogoi’s Double Game

Assam Pradesh Congress Committee President Bhupen Borah made a sensational claim, alleging that there had been a secret understanding between Sibsagar MLA Akhil Gogoi and top BJP leaders Himanta Biswa Sarma and Minister Pijush Hazarika.

In another sharp counter to recent remarks made by Raijor Dal MLA Akhil Gogoi, Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) President Bhupen Borah launched a blistering attack during a Congress gathering. Criticizing Gogoi’s wavering political stance, Borah remarked, “Half-friend, half-enemy didn’t work. Be either a true friend or a true opponent. When the TV camera was on, you smiled; when it was off, you scowled—that didn’t work with us.” His comments reflected the Congress party’s growing frustration with Gogoi’s unpredictable role in Assam’s political landscape.

BJP Unleashed Star Power: 40 Top Leaders Named for Assam Panchayat Polls

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) released a list of 40 star campaigners for the panchayat elections in Assam, featuring several prominent leaders who led the party’s campaign across the state. The list included key figures such as Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma, Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, BJP State President Dilip Saikia, and Panchayat & Rural Development Minister Ranjeet Kumar Dass, along with several other ministers, MPs, and senior party leaders.

BJP Jolted in Chirang: 68 Leaders Quit Ahead of BTC Polls

Ahead of the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) elections, the BJP faced a major setback in Chirang district as 68 leaders and workers from the 13 No. Chirang, 14 No. Chirang Duar, and 15 No. Kajalgaon Council Constituencies resigned en masse. The mass resignations, which spanned across various organizational levels including district, mandal, Yuva Mandal, and booth committees, were reportedly triggered by growing dissatisfaction with the district BJP leadership. According to sources, internal discontent had been simmering for some time and culminated in this collective move just ahead of the crucial elections.

Digboi MLA’s Election Violation Sparks Outrage

Opposition Unity: A Promise Only on Paper

While the idea of a united Opposition is often touted as a powerful counterweight to the ruling establishment during elections, the reality on the ground tells a different story. Despite repeated claims of unity, Opposition parties have consistently struggled to translate their alliance into cohesive action. Fragmented agendas, competing leadership ambitions, and ideological differences continue to plague any serious attempt at coalition politics. What appears as unity in press releases and joint rallies often crumbles when seat-sharing, leadership decisions, or campaign strategies come into play. The so-called alliance remains largely symbolic—an arrangement more useful for optics than for actual electoral success. Until Opposition parties move beyond photo-ops and develop a shared, actionable roadmap, the idea of a united front will remain just that: an idea confined to paper, not practice.

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