Mood of Assam | Pijush Hazarika top performing minister in Himanta Biswa Sarma cabinet

Assam Water Resources Minister Pijush Hazarika has been ranked as the best-performing minister in the Himanta Biswa Sarma-led Assam government, according to the latest India Today Mood of the Nation (MOTN) survey conducted in January 2026.

The survey, released months ahead of the 2026 Assam Assembly elections, assessed public perception of the performance of Cabinet ministers across the state. Respondents were asked to identify the minister they considered the best performer in the current government.

According to the findings, 26.2 per cent of respondents named Pijush Hazarika as the top-performing minister, placing him first among all Cabinet colleagues. He emerged with a significant lead over other ministers in the rankings.

State's education minister Dr Ranoj Pegu secured second place with 11.5 per cent support, tourism minister Ranjeet Kumar Dass ranked third, receiving 8.1 per cent of the responses.

In the next tier, Bimal Borah was identified by 4.7 per cent of respondents, followed by Atul Bora at 4 per cent. Ajanta Neog received 3.1 per cent support, while Chandra Mohan Patowary stood at 3 per cent. Keshab Mahanta was named by 2 per cent of respondents, and Ashok Singhal by 1.9 per cent.

The survey data shows a sharp drop in support percentages beyond the top three ministers, indicating a concentration of public recognition among a limited number of Cabinet members.

While Pijush Hazarika leads the rankings, no minister crossed the one-third mark, reflecting a distributed assessment of Cabinet performance among voters.

With the Assam Assembly elections scheduled for March-April 2026, the latest findings shed light on the popularity of key ministers and their perceived performance in the run-up to the polls, offering insights into the strengths and challenges faced by the ruling BJP-led government.