Adivasi student leader Jarnel Minj likely to contest upcoming Assam assembly polls from Margherita

Adivasi student leader and General Secretary of the All Adivasi Student Association of Assam (AASAA), Tinsukia district committee, Jarnel Minj is likely to contest the upcoming Assam Assembly elections from the 83rd Margherita Legislative Assembly Constituency. He is expected to enter the fray backed by the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and the Jai Bharat Party (JBP).

Highly placed sources within AASAA confirmed that Minj has received a green signal from the party high command to contest the elections. Following this, he is expected to step down from his organisational post as General Secretary of the AASAA Tinsukia district committee before formally announcing his candidature.

Minj, a well-known face in Adivasi and Tea Tribe movements in the region, has been associated with the AASAA for over two decades, working extensively across Margherita and Tinsukia districts. His grassroots connect and long-standing advocacy on issues concerning the Adivasi community have earned him considerable influence among the electorate.

The potential candidature also aligns with the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha’s broader political strategy in Assam. During his visit to the Adivasi Mahasabha in Bargolai, Margherita, Jharkhand Chief Minister and JMM leader Hemant Soren had announced that the party would field candidates across Assam in constituencies with a significant Adivasi population.

The Margherita Assembly constituency holds strategic importance, with the Adivasi and Tea Tribe community forming the second-largest voter base—estimated at around 40,000 voters—after the Assamese community. Political observers believe Minj’s entry could emerge as a decisive factor, potentially splitting votes and posing a serious challenge to both the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress candidates in the constituency.