What matters most for Assam voters? Five issues that could decide Assam Election Results 2026

Issues such as infiltration, illegal immigration, the Uniform Civil Code, the Bodoland issue and corruption continue to dominate the Assam Election this year. With Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and state Congress chief Gaurav Gogoi trading barbs over family assets, pre-poll surveys have revealed the top issues that concern the voters of the North Eastern state.

What do pre-poll survey reveal?

A Vote Vibe survey released on March 10, 2026, found "unemployment" to be the top issue among voters in Assam. This was followed by issues of "food and rehabilitation", alcoholism and drugs, corruption and the investigation into the death of popular singer Zubeen Garg.

Besides, top BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma, have been raising the issue of "demographic changes" and infiltration in Assam. Meanwhile, the Congress has been talking about corruption in Assam and also promised "justice for Zubeen Garg in 100 days.'

Here are the top five issues that have dominated Assam Elections 2026:

1. Infiltration, illegal immigration, protection of indigenous people

BJP leaders claimed that rampant infiltration and illegal immigration have threatened the indigenous people of Assam and changed the demography of the state. They further claimed that the Congress sees these infiltrators and illegal migrants as their vote bank.

To help the state tackle this issue, the BJP's first promise in its election manifesto mentioned the protection of the land, heritage and dignity of the indigenous people of Assam.

The party promised "implementing the Immigrants (Expulsion from Assam) Act, 1950, to expedite the process of detection and pushback of illegal immigrants" and also said it will provide "land rights to all genuine citizens of Assam under Mission Basundhara."

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on March 24, “Every election is crucial for the indigenous people of Assam; we have to survive, we have to preserve our identity.”

In an interview with India Today, Sarma said Hindus currently constitute around 60 per cent of Assam’s population, while Muslims make up approximately 36 per cent, claiming that the situation was different in the past. He stated that large-scale migration altered the demographic balance in several districts.

On April 7, Amit Shah voiced a similar claim, saying that in Assam, seven districts Dhubri, Barpeta, Darrang, Morigaon, Nagaon and Goalpara have become Muslim majority districts.

"In 1991, the Hindu population in these seven districts was 38 lakh, which has now declined to 36 lakh. The Muslim population was 39 lakh, which has increased to 64 lakh," Shah said.

Heclaimed that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi sees infiltrators as vote bank. "Rahul Baba, this is your last chance. Take whatever votes of infiltrators you can," Shah said on Tuesday.

2. Corruption

The Congress and its alliance partners accused the BJP of widespread corruption, particularly by the CM and his family.

On Tuesday, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge accused CM Sarma of "running syndicates in everything — tea, school, coal, egg, land, betel nut." He claimed that every cabinet colleague of Sarma is "corrupt" and all of them own "thousands of crores of properties".

Meanwhile, a war of words erupted between Gaurav Gogoi and Himanta Sarma over corruption allegations. Congress leader Pawan Khera also landed in a controversy after he alleged on Sunday that Sarma's wife had three passports and that he had hidden information about her assets in his poll affidavit.

Hitting back, Sarma had alleged that the Congress used "false information" sourced from a Pakistani social media group to level "baseless" and malicious" allegations against his wife. He termed it an attempt to influence the Assam elections and a punishable offence.

Sarma earlier accused state Congress president Gaurav Gogoi and his wife of having links with Pakistan's spy agency ISI. The BJPO also alleged that Gogoi's “British wife worked for LEAD Pakistan — run by a man tied to Pakistan's army and ISI.”

On the other hand, the opposition party charged Sarma's wife Riniki Bhuyan Sharma with owning multiple passports, properties in Dubai and assets in shell companies, which her husband did not mention in his poll affidavit.

3. Uniform Civil Code

Invoking the promise of the Uniform Civil Code in Assam, Amit Shah said at a poll rally in Assam recently, "PM Narendra Modi ended triple talaq, yet the Congress opposed it. Now, we are bringing the Uniform Civil Code, and they are opposing this as well. UCC means no one can have four marriages. On 5 May, form a BJP government in Assam, and we will implement the UCC here."

The issue of the UCC is among the top promises of the BJP. The party's manifesto says, “Working towards the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), excluding the 6th Schedule areas and tribals, while ensuring the traditional rights of ethnic communities.”

Last week, Amit Shah said that the government will implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in Assam, asserting that polygamy will not be allowed under the proposed framework. He also stated that Adivasi communities will be kept outside the ambit of the UCC.

4. Bodolands

The BJP, in its manifesto, promised to ensure 100% implementation of the Bodo Accord and accelerate holistic development through enhanced autonomy, financial assistance and last-mile delivery of schemes.

While addressing a public gathering in Assam's Hailakandi district, Amit Shah said, "By signing peace agreements with Bodoland and the ULFA [The United Liberation Front of Asom], we have worked to make Assam a developed Assam..."

Bodos (also known as ‘Kacharis’) are the largest group of Assam’s plains tribes. They had started an armed struggle for a separate state in the mid-1980s.

The Bodoland Autonomous Council (BAC) Accord was signed in 1993 and the Bodoland movement became more violent during the later part of the 1990s. In February 2003, the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) Accord was signed to end the one-and-a-half decade long Bodo movement, according to IDSA.

5. Death of Zubeen Garg

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge criticised the Assam government over the alleged delay in setting up the fast-track court in the Zubeen Garg death case.

"For six months, the BJP government did not set up the fast-track court... Once our government is formed, we will give justice to Zubeen Garg and punish the culprits within 100 days of forming the government," he added.

Zubeen Garg, a popular singer in Assam, died in Singapore on September 19 last year.

Assam Elections 2026

The 126-seat Assam Assembly is set to go for polling on April 9, with counting of votes on May 4. The campaign, fraught with accusations and promises galore, for the elections to the 126-member Assam Assembly ended at 5 pm on Tuesday.

The polls will be held on April 9 to decide the electoral fate of 722 candidates.