NDTV Assam Conclave Live: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Union minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Rajya Sabha MP Sushmita Dev will be among the key leaders to speak at the NDTV Great Brahmaputra Dialogue to be held in Guwahati today.
Through the day, leaders, policymakers, cultural icons and changemakers will gather to decode Assam's political mood, cultural voice, economic ambitions and development roadmap. Discussions will range on topics ranging from women shaping change, tourism and industry.
Key political voices across parties - from the BJP, Congress, AIUDF and AJP - will join multiple panels to debate the state's electoral landscape, youth aspirations, health and industry priorities, infrastructure push and minority questions.
The event comes ahead of upcoming Assembly elections in the state, the dates for which are yet to be announced. While Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the state for two days and inaugurated several projects, Union Home minister Amit Shah is expected to address events and meet party cadre on Sunday. The Congress has so far named nominees in 65 seats in the 126-member House, leaving 15 seats for alliance partners.
Follow Live Updates From The Great Brahmaputra Dialogue:
Video: BJP Spokesperson On Charges Of Assam Being Overrun By Intruders
#TheGreatBrahmaputraDialogue | BJP spokesperson Dr Kangkana Goswami Bhardwaz responds to Assam being overrun by ghuspaithiyas (intruders) charge @PadmajaJoshi pic.twitter.com/rI5xNnfyUu
— NDTV (@ndtv) March 15, 2026
Assam Jatiya Parishad Leader Concerned Over Indigenous Representation
Kamal Narayan Choudhury, vice president of the Assam Jatiya Parishad, said the BJP remained a formidable force in the state, but argued that the electoral landscape was skewed against indigenous Assamese communities.
"The BJP juggernaut is strong," he said, noting that out of the state's constituencies, only 57 seats were those where an "indigenous Assamese can think of winning" based solely on indigenous votes. "The rest are dominated by immigrants or people from other parts of the country," he said.
Choudhury claimed that BJP's electoral success did not translate into benefits for native Assamese communities. "Hindi and Bengali-speaking populations vote for them. Their success is not for the betterment of indigenous people," he said.
NDTV The Great Brahmaputra Dialogue: Congress Vows Return To Power
Mira Borthakur Goswami, Mahila Congress President in Assam, said the people of the state were ready for change after a decade of BJP rule.
"We have been in the opposition for 10 years. This year, we will come to power," she said, adding that voters had witnessed the Congress' "journey" and were prepared to "bring us back."
Slamming the BJP's development pitch, Goswami said the slogan of 'sabka saath, sabka vikas' had "fallen flat". "Just look at gas prices. The Prime Minister and the Home Minister don't care about common people," she said.
She also targeted the state government over its education record, claiming that instead of opening new institutions, "7,000 government schools have been closed".
Next Up: Voices On Tourism, Industry
A fireside chat titled 'Changing Assam: From Tourism to Industry 4.0' will see the following speakers:
- Kumar Padmapani Bora, Commissioner & Secretary, Information & Public Relations and Managing Director, Assam Tourism
- Jayanta Das, Area Director, IHCL
- Subimal Bhattacharjee, Author & Tech Policy Adviser
Next Up: Panel Discussion On Women Leading Change
The upcoming session will explore the role of women leading that change and emerging as the new voices of Assam.
The speaker include:
Rita Chowdhury, Author & Former Director, NBT
Stuti Choudhury, Presenter, Singer & Actor
Drishti Medhi, Co-founder, QuickGhy
Akshata Narain, Group President - AM Television
Video: Violinist Sunita Bhuyan's Performance At Conclave
Violinist Sunita Bhuyan pays a musical tribute to Zubeen Garg at #TheGreatBrahmaputraDialogue pic.twitter.com/gtC8nVE0gu
— NDTV (@ndtv) March 15, 2026
Violinist Sunita Bhuyan Begins Performance At The Brahmaputra Dialogue
Violinist Sunita Bhuyan begins performance and address of the first session at the NDTV Great Brahmpautra Conclave titled 'The Cultural Voice of Assam'.
NDTV Assam Conclave Live: What To Expect
Key political voices across parties - from the BJP, Congress, AIUDF and AJP - will join multiple panels to debate the state's electoral landscape, youth aspirations, health and industry priorities, infrastructure push and minority questions.
Through the day, leaders, policymakers, cultural icons and changemakers will gather to decode Assam's political mood, cultural voice, economic ambitions and development roadmap. Discussions will range on topics ranging from women shaping change, tourism and industry.
Himanta Biswa Sarma To Address The Great Brahmaputra Dialogue
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Union minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Rajya Sabha MP Sushmita Dev will be among the key leaders to speak at the NDTV Great Brahmaputra Dialogue to be held in Guwahati today.
