BJP’s 2026 script nearly set; BTR tie-ups to be finalised after Shah’s visit: CM Sarma

Guwahati, Dec 4: With less than six months to go for the 2026 Assembly polls, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, on Thursday, declared that the Assam BJP’s election blueprint is “almost ready” and that only the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) remains to be stitched into the final script.

Speaking in Tamulpur during the seed capital distribution ceremony under the Mukhya Mantri Mahila Udyamita Abhiyan (MMUA), Sarma said the last pieces of the BJP’s poll strategy will fall into place during Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s upcoming visit.

“Apart from BTC, our election preparation is almost complete. How the election will be played, what will be done, who will be in the campaign. In short, our blueprint is almost ready,” Sarma said.

Shah is expected in Assam either at the end of December or in the first week of January. “After that, everything will be confirmed,” he added.

Sarma, however, hinted that political discussions in BTR will begin only in January since the region has just wrapped up the Bodoland Territorial Council polls.

“The atmosphere in BTC is not amicable for talks on Assembly polls as the region just got done with the council polls. We’ll begin discussions with the NDA partners in January,” he said.

The Chief Minister, however, didn’t miss the chance to poke the Opposition. Asked if a united opposition front could pose a threat to the BJP-led NDA in 2026 polls, he dismissed the idea with trademark strut.

“Who are the other opponents? I don’t even know their names. They didn’t even get a seat in the BTC. Their names are only famous in the media, not among the people,” he said.

His comments came a day after Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) chief and BTC head Hagrama Mohilary hinted at a possible tie-up with the NDA for the 2026 showdown.

Speaking after the final day of the BTC Winter Session on Wednesday, Mohilary confirmed that talks were underway to fight the elections jointly.

Seat-sharing discussions, however, haven’t begun. With the NDA currently holding 75 seats in the Assam Assembly, Mohilary said that distribution will be negotiated later.

“The BPF plans to contest at least 15 seats, possibly more depending on internal decision,” he had said.

With BTR emerging as the final piece in the BJP’s 2026 puzzle, all eyes are now on Shah’s visit, where the saffron camp hopes to lock in its battle plan for the high-stakes election.