Himanta Biswa Sarma went to Borah’s home in Ghoramara, where Borah’s family greeted the Chief Minister with a traditional aarti. They talked for over ninety minutes, and Sarma then stated that Borah, along with a number of his supporters, would be joining the BJP in Guwahati.
Dilip Saikia, the state BJP president, will work out the details, Sarma explained. A separate event will also happen in Lakhimpur – Borah’s home area – because many Congress members there have said they’d like to go with him.
Borah’s History in Politics and Why He Left
From 2021 to 2025, Bhupen Borah was the Congress president for the state. He was also a Member of the Legislative Assembly for Bihpuria for two terms, from 2006 until 2016. Borah left the Congress after thirty-two years, and the Chief Minister has said this was because of long-held troubles in the party.
What is Said About the Parties and What is Happening Inside Them
Sarma called Borah a ‘leader at the local level’ and said the Congress didn’t deal with the issues which made him want to leave. Borah didn’t say anything at the event, so what made him leave and what he’ll do now will be clearer in the days ahead.
Sarma said Borah leaving showed that Congress wasn’t really a place for Hindu leaders in Assam any more, and called Borah the last well-known Hindu leader in the state party who didn’t have family in the party already. He also said the BJP would allow Borah to work towards his aims in politics.
The Chief Minister also thought that some Muslim leaders at the grassroots in Congress were losing faith and might move towards regional groups – like the Raijor Dal – in the coming years, and predicted a changed opposition by 2031.
When the Elections Are and Updates to the Voters’ List Before Them
The Assam Assembly elections are likely in the first week of April 2026, and the Election Commission is expected to name the dates between March 4 and March 8. Officials and people in the parties have said voting for the 126 seats could be in one or two stages.
On February 10, the ECI finished a Special Revision of the electoral rolls. After 243,485 names were taken off the first list, the final register has 24,958,139 voters: 12,482,213 men, 12,475,583 women, and 343 people of the third gender. The state assembly’s time in office ends on May 20, so getting ready on time is very important.
What Borah’s Switch Means for the BJP and Congress’s Plans
Borah's move to the BJP gives the ruling party a better story to tell and a useful edge in certain areas. The party in power is trying to win over 100 of the 126 seats and has increased its campaigning, with a lot of visits from important leaders at the national level.
For the Congress, the leaving of a former state president is a problem for both how the party is organised and how people in it feel. The party has made a wide alliance with about ten regional and left-wing parties to fight the BJP, but important people leaving could make it harder to get people at the local level to work for them.
What to Look For Before Polling Starts
People watching events will be looking at two things which will happen soon: whether Borah will officially accept any offer of a seat, and how many people at the district level will follow him and leave. Sarma said there would be no bargaining over seats and hinted Borah might even stand in Jalukbari if it was needed.
The schedule announcement from the Election Commission, and the final arrangements for the campaigns, will decide what the political situation looks like immediately. With the voters’ rolls now complete and the parties changing their positions, the next few weeks will show how this change affects the larger fight in the Assam Elections 2026.
