Jalukbari has once again emerged as one of Assam’s most closely watched constituencies, with Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma seeking a sixth straight win from the seat he has held since 2001.
Voting for Assam’s 126 Assembly constituencies began on Thursday in a single phase. More than 2.5 crore voters are eligible to cast their ballots across the state, where 722 candidates are in the fray. Jalukbari, Sarma’s home turf in the Kamrup district, is being seen as a major political test even though the Chief Minister remains the clear heavyweight in the contest.
In a post on X, Sarma urged voters to come out in large numbers, saying every vote and every voice mattered in building a better Assam.
Jalukbari has long been linked to Sarma’s political rise. He first won the seat in 2001 by defeating AGP veteran Bhrigu Kumar Phukan and has retained it ever since. In 2021, he secured 78.4 per cent of the vote and won by a margin of more than one lakh votes.
This time, the Congress has fielded 34-year-old Bidisha Neog, who has tried to pitch herself as a fresh face against a seasoned incumbent. Her campaign has focused on local grievances and allegations of corruption.
The Congress has also moved the Election Commission, seeking cancellation of Sarma’s candidature over allegations linked to undisclosed family assets. The Chief Minister has rejected the charges as a political gimmick and hit back with allegations against Assam Congress chief Gaurav Gogoi.
That has made Jalukbari more than a straightforward contest. It is now being watched as a test of Sarma’s political hold on the constituency and of what supporters call the “Himanta model” of governance.