With the Assam Assembly elections due in early 2026, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has intensified its political messaging in the state, placing renewed emphasis on issues of alleged illegal immigration, land encroachment and what it describes as a growing “demographic threat”.
Senior BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, have stepped up their presence in the state in recent months, using public rallies and official events to underline the party’s narrative on migration and identity. Party leaders have repeatedly accused previous governments, particularly the Congress, of allowing “infiltration” from Bangladesh for electoral gains.
According to political observers, the BJP’s campaign strategy reflects a shift in tone — from the long-standing issue of “infiltrators” to a broader framing of demographic change as a threat to Assam’s indigenous communities. Chief Minister Sarma has warned that rapid population growth among Bengali-origin Muslims could alter the state’s social and political balance, projecting that their share of Assam’s population could rise significantly in the coming years.
The rhetoric has been accompanied by administrative action on the ground. Over the past year, the state government has carried out eviction drives to clear alleged encroachments from government land, forest areas, sattra land and village grazing reserves. BJP leaders have linked these drives to efforts to protect Assam’s land and cultural identity, portraying them as part of a larger campaign against illegal settlement.
At several recent events, Amit Shah reiterated the BJP’s promise to “free Assam of infiltrators” if the party is returned to power, while asserting that the National Register of Citizens (NRC) process and other measures would be strengthened under a BJP government.
Political analysts say the BJP is seeking to consolidate its core Assamese voter base while also appealing to communities such as Bengali Hindus, Biharis and Marwaris by foregrounding issues of security, identity and development. The party’s messaging, they note, is aimed at turning the 2026 election into a referendum on cultural survival and governance.
The opposition, including the Congress and the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), has criticised the BJP’s campaign, accusing it of using polarising language to divert attention from issues such as unemployment, price rise and flood management. Opposition leaders have also raised concerns over the humanitarian impact of eviction drives and the absence of rehabilitation measures.
As campaigning gathers pace, migration, demographic change and land rights are expected to dominate Assam’s political discourse in the run-up to the 2026 Assembly elections, setting the stage for a highly charged electoral contest.
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