Assam election 2026: Himanta Biswa Sarma’s political timeline

Assam is heading for elections to its legislative assembly. The elections will be conducted on April 9, 2026, with the votes being counted on May 4, 2026.

 Approximately 2.50 crore people are eligible to vote in the highly awaited elections.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance is seeking to win its third consecutive term, while the opposition is mainly organised under a coalition called the Asom Sonmilito Morcha (ASM), led by the Indian National Congress (INC). 

Himanta Biswa Sarma is the Chief Minister of the state and is widely credited with consolidating the BJP’s hold in the North-East. 

Here’s a look at Himanta Biswa Sarma’s political career through the years. 

1988: Mr Sarma was elected as the General Secretary of Cotton College Students’ Union multiple times until 1991. 

1991: Mr Sarma joins the Indian National Congress as the then Chief Minister, Congress leader Hiteshwar Saikia, who sought a young leader to bring the youth segment back to the party, which had been driven away. 

1996: Congress fielded Himanta Biswa Sarma against Bhrigu Kumar Phukar in the Jalukbari constituency. He lost the election, but it established his political foundation. 

2001: First assembly victory: Mr Sarma secured his first electoral victory from Jalukbari, defeating Asom Gana Parishad leader Bhrigu Phukan. 

2002: On June 7, 2002, Himantas Sarma was given the portfolio of Agriculture, Planning, and Development as part of the first Tarun Gogoi ministry.

2004: On September 1, Himanta Sarma was handed the finance, planning, and development portfolios in the Assam cabinet. 

2006: Himanta Biswa Sarma was re-elected to the State Legislative Assembly and assumed the portfolio of the Health Minister in addition to Finance, Culture, and Public Works under Tarun Gogoi’s second term. 

2011: Himanta Sarma was re-elected for the third term in the 2011 Assembly elections from Jalukbari. Under Congress’s Tarun Gogoi’s third term, Mr Sarma handled the portfolios of Health, Finance, Public Works, Transformation and Development. 

2014: On July 21, Mr Sarma resigned from all positions due to political disagreements, but he continued to remain a member of the Assembly until September 15, 2015.

2015: On August 23, Himanta Sarma joined the Bharatiya Janta Party(BJP) at the residence of Amit Shah in New Delhi.  In September 2015, he was appointed as the Convenor of the Election Management Committee for the 2016 Assembly elections in the state. 

2016: In May, Himanta Sarma won the Jakulbari constituency for the fourth consecutive term. He was sworn into Assam’s cabinet under the BJP’s Sarbananda Sonowal ministry. He was allotted portfolios such as Finance, Health and Family Welfare, Education, Planning and Development, Tourism, Pension and Public Grievances. 

2021: On May 10, Himanta Biswa Sarma was sworn in as the 15th Chief Minister of Assam, succeeding Sonowal, who had tendered his resignation the previous day. 

Close electoral battle

Himanta Biswa Sarma is vying for a major electoral win in the upcoming battle with opposition parties like Asom Sonmilito Morcha (ASM) led by the Indian National Congress hoping for a comeback in the state.