Dispur, Jorhat Become High-Stakes Battlegrounds Ahead Of Assam Polls

As Assam heads to the Assembly elections on April 9, all eyes are on Dispur and Jorhat.

With changing loyalties and internal rivalries, the two seats have attracted considerable attention.

Dispur: Three-Way Contest Amid Defections

In Dispur, once a Congress stronghold, the election has turned into a three-way contest. Pradyut Bordoloi , former Congress MP from Nagaon, is representing the BJP. He joined the party in the presence of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on March 18, saying he was humiliated and sidelined by his former party.

Bordoloi's main challenger is Jayant Kumar Das, a former BJP leader who was suspended from the party for six years. When he was denied a ticket, Das resigned and decided to contest as an independent.

The third candidate is Mira Borthakur Goswami, contesting on a Congress ticket. Her entry makes Dispur a three-way contest.

Jorhat: Gogoi Vs Himanta Proxy War

Jorhat has also emerged as a focal point, with Assam Pradesh Congress Committee president and three-time MP Gaurav Gogoi taking on BJP incumbent Hitendra Nath Goswami. Gogoi, a sitting Lok Sabha MP and son of former Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, has raised the stakes for Congress, which aims to end the BJP rule in the state. This will be the first time Gogoi will contest the Assembly polls.

https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/assam-elections-2026-assam-polls-congress-mp-gaurav-gogoi-to-contest-assembly-polls-for-first-time-11165210

Chief Minister Sarma has sparked controversy in Jorhat by alleging links between Gogoi and Pakistan. In February, he released findings from a Special Investigation Team (SIT) suggesting connections between Gogoi, his British wife Elizabeth Colburn Gogoi and a Pakistani national, Ali Tauqeer Sheikh. 

Gogoi responded by asking the Supreme Court to take suo-motu cognizance against Sarma for sharing his children's details with the media.

Before that, in July 2025, Sarma criticized Gogoi over a Lok Sabha speech during the Operation Sindoor debate, saying it proved Gogoi acts “on behalf of Pakistan.” The remarks followed Gogoi questioning the government on issues such as Donald Trump's ceasefire claims and the alleged downing of jets in India.

speech delivered by our MP from Jorhat in Parliament yesterday proved beyond doubt that he acts on behalf of Pakistan. His secret trip and close ties with the Pakistani establishment speak volumes. With his wife and both the kids holding foreign citizenship, he can leave India…

— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) July 29, 2025

In the past, Gogoi accused Sarma's family of grabbing around 12,000 bighas of land across the state. Sarma responded by saying that he would file a defamation case.

The high-profile contests in Dispur and Jorhat show the stakes in Assam's 126-seat Assembly elections, where 64 seats are needed for a majority. 

Voting for all constituencies will take place in a single phase on April 9, with results expected on May 4.