One leader, three parties: Sherman Ali Ahmed wins Assembly elections under AIUDF, Congress and TMC in Assam

In a political career marked by shifting alliances but consistent electoral relevance, Sherman Ali Ahmed has scripted one of the more unusual journeys in Assam politics, winning Assembly elections under three different political parties across four terms.
Ahmed first entered the Assam Legislative Assembly in 2011 from Baghbar as a candidate of the All India United Democratic Front. He retained the constituency in 2016 under the same party banner, emerging as one of the more recognisable political faces in western Assam.
In 2021, he switched to the Indian National Congress and returned to the Assembly once again, underlining his personal political base beyond party lines.
His latest victory, however, may be the most politically significant. Contesting the 2026 Assembly elections from Mandia on a ticket of the All India Trinamool Congress, Ahmed secured 1,13,480 votes and defeated Congress candidate Abdul Khaleque by a margin of 27,561 votes. Khaleque secured 85,919 votes.
The victory gave the Trinamool Congress its only seat in Assam and marked the party’s first electoral breakthrough in the State. Though numerically modest in the 126-member Assembly, the result carries symbolic significance for the party as it attempts to expand beyond its traditional base in West Bengal.
Ahmed’s path to Mandia was anything but straightforward. Earlier this year, he had briefly joined Raijor Dal and was appointed the party’s vice-president. However, after being dropped from the final candidate list during opposition seat-sharing negotiations, he switched to the Trinamool Congress and was fielded from Mandia.