Assam CM accuses Congress of cash-for-ticket racket ahead of 2026 polls

Rangapara, Nov 23: The political battle lines for the 2026 Assam Assembly elections sharpened further on Sunday, with the ruling BJP and the opposition Asom Sonmilito Morcha (ASM) trading accusations and revealing early strategies for the high-stakes contest.

At an event in Rangapara, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma predicted that the Congress would contest from only 22 Assembly constituencies in the upcoming elections.

He went on to name some of the seats where he claimed the alliance would field candidates, including Srijangram, Baghbar, Mandia, Samaria and Dalgaon.

The Chief Minister also accused the Congress of running its political machinery on funds drawn from the “miya” community, saying the party depended heavily on their votes and describing them as the Congress’s “oxygen”.

“They will contest from 22 seats and will extort massive amount of money from the candidates. They have already hinted at that to the candidates. They have been asked to pay Rs 1 crore as advance and Rs 3 crore later,” Sarma alleged.

At the same time, he asserted that the BJP-led government has done “much more” for this community through welfare schemes such as Orunodoi and MMUA, while warning that the Opposition would face serious challenges in the 2026 polls.

Outlining the BJP’s roadmap, Sarma earlier said the ruling NDA coalition plans to contest 103 of the state’s 126 Assembly seats.

“JP Nadda-led BJP's Parliamentary Committee will take the decision on candidates. It has always been our endeavour to bring in young blood into the party. And as always, we will strive to bring in more women candidates in our list,” he said.

Meanwhile, preparations for the 2026 polls have begun in the Opposition camp as well. The Congress has already launched its mass-contact campaign, Raijor Podulit, Raijor Congress.

The idea, party leaders said, is to “bridge the gap between politicians and the people,” listen directly to public concerns, and rebuild faith in the Congress as a people-centred party.

Taking a jibe at the Chief Minister, the Leader of Opposition on Sunday said that he does not understand what constitutes a “miya community” in the way Sarma has been using the term.

“Those who should live in Assam according to the Assam Accord must stay, and those who can’t; the government must show honest courage to extradite them,” he said at a meeting.

Another ASM ally, Raijor Dal, is gearing up to kick off its campaign for the 2026 showdown from December 1.

The party’s chief, Akhil Gogoi, on Sunday, said that their campaign would formally begin that day, with posters and grassroots mobilisation across constituencies. Claiming intense preparations, Gogoi said the alliance is working “day and night” to organise its outreach.

Earlier, a hint of rift in the revived Morcha surfaced when the Congress voiced concern over Akhil Gogoi’s remarks to the press, accusing him of “violating the understanding” reached during the Asom Sonmilito Morcha’s first meeting on November 12.

Sarma responded sharply, launching a personal attack on Gogoi and accusing him of political inconsistency. He alleged that Gogoi frequently shifted allegiances and questioned his credibility as a leader.

In a nutshell, the political atmosphere in Assam is heating up, with both the ruling and opposition camps positioning themselves early for the 2026 Assembly elections.