“Secure, developed Assam”: BJP releases ‘Sankalp Patra’ for 2026 assembly elections

Guwahati : Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday released its ‘Sankalp Patra’ (manifesto) for the 2026 Assam Assembly elections in Guwahati. Union Ministers Nirmala Sitharaman and Sarbananda Sonowal, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, State BKP president Dilip Saikia and others were present at the ceremony. CM Sarma promised a Uniform Civil Code and two lakh jobs in the state.

“We will implement UCC in Assam, excluding Sixth Schedule, ST areas. We will take strong steps against Love Jihad. We will try to make flood-free Assam, and in the first two years, we will spend Rs 18,000 crore. We will provide 2 lakh jobs in next 5 years. We want to make One District, One Medical College, One University, One Engineering College,” the CM said. Assam BJP president Dilip Saikia said that the BJP aims to make a “secure Assam, a developed Assam.”

“The 2026 election is a very important election for the people of Assam. BJP is contesting this election with an aim to make a secure Assam. We are ready for this election. Our ‘sankalp’ (resolve) is to make a secure Assam, a developed Assam. We received 2.45 lakh suggestions from different parts of the state to prepare the Sankalp Patra,” Saikia said.

Union Finance Minister Sitharaman highlighted the economic growth of the state under the BJP government, stating that the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) increased about three times in the last 10 years, while the per capita income has risen from Rs 1.03 lakh in 2020-21 to Rs 1.59 lakh in 2024-25.

She said, “This manifesto has been built on a decade of delivery. When I look at Assam from the perspective of the Union Finance Minister, the state has been transformed in the last 10 years in ways the six decades of Congress rule could never achieve. Assam’s state GDP in 2015-16 was Rs 2.24 lakh crore; in 2025-26 it stands at Rs 7.41 lakh crore. This is a 3.3 times increase in a decade. Assam is today among the fastest growing economy among states. The per capita income has risen from Rs 1.03 lakh in 2020-21 to Rs 1.59 lakh in 2024-25.”

“Assam’s share of central taxes. It was Rs 10,000 crore under the Congress, while in 2025-26, that figure is Rs 50,000 crore. Since 2014, total central transfers to Assam, tax devolution and grants, are at a total of Rs 5.61 lakh crore. Assam has received Rs 27,000 crore as a 50-year interest-free loan from the Centre. When you talk about the double-engine government, these are the reasons… We are not just creating jobs for the youth, we are building an advanced and globally competitive ecosystem that Assamese talent across the world is choosing to come back to,” she added.

Hitting out at Congress, Sitharaman highlighted that the infrastructure development under the BJP and the increase in the Centre’s budget for North-east India. She said, “Congress built three major bridges across Brahamaputra in 50 years, but the BJP has built nine, with five more in the pipeline in just 10 years. The average budget for the entire North-east under the UPA was Rs 2,122 crore; in 2025-26, it is Rs 10,440 crores. 100 per cent rail electrification has been achieved in Assam. If it were running on diesel, you would have had minor disruptions… The 4.5 lakh tea garden worker families have now received land pattas for the first time.”

Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Centre’s support to the state, saying, “This Sankalp Patra is prepared by the people of Assam, not the BJP. Our aim is to make Assam the strongest state in the country. People’s suggestions have been included in this Sankalp Patra. After 70 years of Independence, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has supported us a lot in making a developing Assam, a secure Assam.”

The polling for all 126 Assembly constituencies will be held in a single phase on April 9, while the counting of votes is scheduled for May 4. Assam will witness a fight between the incumbent BJP-led NDA government and Congress for the 126-seat assembly. The BJP government, led by CM Sarma, will look to secure a third consecutive term, while the Congress aims to defeat the ruling party to return to power.