The Great Assam Migration: How Himanta Biswa Sarma Is Hollowing Out The Congress

Last Updated:March 20, 2026, 16:45 IST

Beyond individual defections ahead of polls, Sarma is using 'Congress imports' to sharpen the BJP’s identity-based appeal in Assam

In the high-stakes arena of the 2026 Assam assembly elections, observers say Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has deployed a political strategy that is as audacious as it is effective: dismantling the Congress party by absorbing its most influential DNA. On March 19, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) unveiled its first list of 88 candidates, revealing a roster heavily populated by former Congress stalwarts. BJP sources say this “Congress-mukt" (Congress-free) mission is being achieved not just by defeating the opposition at the polls but also by systematically hollowing it out from within.

The Great Migration: From Nagaon to Dispur

The most significant jolt to the Congress came just days before the candidate announcement with the high-profile defection of Pradyut Bordoloi. A sitting Member of Parliament from Nagaon and a veteran with roots in the Congress dating back to 1975, Bordoloi was immediately rewarded with a BJP ticket for the prestigious Dispur constituency. His exit was not an isolated incident; it followed the February defection of Bhupen Kumar Borah, the former president of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC).

By securing Borah, the BJP has effectively neutralised one of the Congress’s most recognisable faces among the indigenous Khilanjia community. Borah has been fielded from the Bihpuria seat, a move strategists believe could swing the tide in nearly 45 assembly segments across Upper and North Assam, where his influence remains potent.

Dismantling the regional leadership

Sarma’s strategy targets the core pillars of the Congress’s regional strength. The BJP’s 2026 list features several other former Congress MLAs, including Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha, Sashi Kanta Das, and Sushanta Borgohain. Purkayastha, a key voice from the Barak Valley, has been fielded from Katigorah, while Sashi Kanta Das seeks to retain the Raha seat under the saffron banner.

This systematic absorption serves a dual purpose. Firstly, it provides the BJP with ready-made winners who possess deep-rooted local networks. Secondly, it leaves the remaining Congress leadership, led by APCC president Gaurav Gogoi, in a state of perpetual defensive manoeuvring. With veteran leaders citing “humiliation" and “suffocation" as reasons for their exit, Sarma has successfully branded the Congress as a sinking ship where “self-respecting" leaders can no longer survive.

The ‘Khilanjia’ and caste-based consolidation

Beyond individual defections, Sarma is using these “Congress imports" to sharpen the BJP’s identity-based appeal. By bringing in leaders like Bhupen Borah, the BJP is solidifying its hold over the Hindu Assamese vote bank, particularly in areas where the Congress historically held sway. This is complemented by the Chief Minister’s aggressive rhetoric on the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the “illegal infiltration" narrative, which forces the Congress into a corner regarding its own minority voter base.

Sarma’s approach is surgical. During recent public addresses, he openly declared his intent to bring “all good Congress leaders" into the BJP fold, effectively turning the BJP into an umbrella organisation that houses the state’s political elite.

A psychological war at the booth level

The psychological impact of these defections cannot be overstated. When a former state president and an incumbent MP switch sides on the eve of an election, it creates a sense of inevitability around the BJP’s victory. For the grassroots worker, the line between the two parties has blurred, making it easier for the BJP to co-opt the local machinery that once belonged to the Congress.

As Assam prepares to vote on April 9, analysts say the battle is no longer just between two ideologies. It is between a rejuvenated BJP, bolstered by the very people who once opposed it, and a fragmented Congress struggling to find enough “suspects" to fill its own ranks. Himanta Biswa Sarma has not just changed the players; he has rewritten the rules of the game.

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