Assam Elections 2026: Sivasagar Sees Triangular Contest, Akhil Gogoi In Focus

As Assam heads into the Assembly elections on April 9, the Sivasagar constituency is turning out to be one of the most closely watched contests. The race is shaped by a three-cornered fight and the Akhil Gogoi factor.

Gogoi, the Raijor Dal president, had won the seat in 2021 even while in jail on sedition charges linked to the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests. He had defeated BJP candidate Surabhi Rajkonwar by more than 11,000 votes.

This time, the seat in Upper Assam is set for another key contest, with Gogoi taking on two NDA candidates, Prodip Hazarika of the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and the BJP's Kushal Dowari.

Gogoi is campaigning on issues of regionalism and anti-incumbency, backed by a Congress-led six-party alliance. He faces experienced opponents. Hazarika is a veteran of the Assam Agitation and a five-time MLA from Amguri, while Dowari is a former ULFA member and a two-time legislator.

Seat With Deep Political Roots

Once the capital of the Ahom Kingdom, Sivasagar continues to carry strong historical and political importance. The constituency remains a political nerve, with a diverse electorate that includes the Ahom community, tea tribe workers, and the urban middle class.

Gogoi has built his campaign around his image as a grassroots leader and a critic of central policies in the northeast. He has also sharpened his attack on Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

In March, Akhil Gogoi vowed to end the political existence of Sarma by “making him pay for fake encounter deaths” if the Opposition alliance comes to power after the April 9 polls. He accused the Chief Minister of being responsible for 80 alleged fake encounter killings and criticised him for allegedly deceiving the state's women with his “false promise” to waive their microfinance loans.

NDA's Dual Strategy

The BJP has fielded Dowari, who earlier won the Thowra seat in 2016. Gogoi has also launched a sharp personal attack on Dowari, calling him a “murderer,” while pointing to cases mentioned in his affidavit.

“It's a matter of deep disgrace that a person who had murdered 26 people and married 3 women is being considered as the potential candidate of BJP for 96 Sibsagar LAC,” said Gogoi in a recent post on X.

It's a matter of deep disgrace that a person who had murdered 26 people and married 3 women is being considered as the potential candidate of BJP for 96 Sibsagar LAC. It's really unfortunate that such a person has been considered by the party for a highly respectable constituency…

— Akhil Gogoi (@AkhilGogoiAG) March 22, 2026

Hazarika, meanwhile, finds himself contesting in Sivasagar after his Amguri seat was abolished following the 2023 delimitation exercise.

For Raijor Dal, retaining Sivasagar is crucial to maintaining its relevance. Polling for all 126 Assembly constituencies in Assam will be held in a single phase on April 9, with counting scheduled for May 4.