Ahead of 2026 Assam polls, Sarbananda Sonowal asks BJP cadres to stay united, avoid infighting

Union Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, on December 27, cautioned Bharatiya Janata Party workers in Assam against complacency and internal discord as the party prepares for the 2026 Assembly elections.

Addressing the BJP’s state executive meeting, Sonowal said the party was entering the next election cycle “from a position of strength” and expressed confidence of securing a third consecutive term in power, citing the performance of the so-called double-engine government over the past decade.

“Regarding the 2026 Assembly elections, we head in from a position of strength, but everyone has to remain restrained and disciplined,” he said. “The people are with us, but it is important that there is no infighting within our own party.”

The Union minister said the BJP’s rise in Assam marked a clear shift from what he described as decades of neglect and instability under previous Congress governments. “For nearly 60 years, Assam and the Northeast were denied peace, development and dignity,” Sonowal said, adding that the region began receiving its due only after Prime Minister Narendra Modi prioritised development and worked to “bridge the emotional gap” created by years of misrule.

Sonowal maintained that peace and stability returned to Assam after the BJP formed the government in 2016, attributing the change to sustained dialogue, firm administrative action and the signing of several peace accords. He also pointed to the Prime Minister’s frequent visits and the regular presence of Union ministers in the Northeast, saying this had replaced a “Lutyens Delhi-centric elite” style of governance with one closer to the people.

Calling for discipline within the organisation, Sonowal reminded party workers of the BJP’s guiding principle: “Nation comes first, the party second and self last.”