HT Correspondent
JORHAT, May 13: Following a clean sweep in the panchayat polls in Jorhat district, the results of which were declared on Monday, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has urged Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to contest the 2026 Assembly elections from the Jorhat Legislative Assembly Constituency.
Speaking to reporters at the BJP district office on Tuesday, Jorhat district BJP president Santanu Puzari described the victory as a significant milestone in the party’s history in the district.
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He noted that the unprecedented results came within a year of the BJP losing the Jorhat Lok Sabha seat to Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi, making the triumph all the more meaningful.
Puzari said that the massive mandate in the panchayat polls was a clear endorsement of the Sarma-led government’s policies.
He recalled that ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the Chief Minister had expressed interest in contesting from the Jorhat Assembly seat, but appeared less inclined to do so after the party’s defeat in the parliamentary polls.
Puzari attributed the victory to a combination of grassroots outreach and effective governance. He said that the party had introspected after last year’s loss and took focused efforts to connect with the electorate.
He thanked party workers for their dedication and credited the uninterrupted, transparent and corruption-free development under the leadership of Chief Minister Sarma in the state and Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the centre.
Present at the press conference were Jorhat and Mariani MLAs Hitendra Nath Goswami and Rupjyoti Kurmi, along with former district BJP presidents Hemanta Kalita, Kamakhya Mohan Das and Jitu Hazarika, and an Executive Member of the Thengal Kachari Autonomous Council.
According to official figures, the BJP and its ally AGP won all 16 Zila Parishad Constituencies (ZPC) in the district—15 by the BJP and one by the AGP.
In the Anchalik Panchayat (AP) elections, the BJP secured 72 out of 86 seats, AGP won 10, the Congress managed three, and one seat went to an Independent candidate.
Meanwhile, reacting to the Congress’s poor performance, Jorhat MP Gaurav Gogoi admitted the results were unexpected.
Speaking to reporters, Gogoi said that the onus lay with the grassroot leadership, the MLAs and the MPs but only a diagnosis would not do.
“The Congress will also have to come up with a solution, (prescription) to win in the next election,” he said.
Gogoi acknowledged the BJP’s organisational efforts, stating, “Last year, Congress came up trumps. This year, BJP overcame the loss and won the match. Next year, in the final rematch, we hope to win. Much can be done in one year and we will find out what the people desire”
He added that the results reflect the electorate’s expectations towards their elected leadership. “At the panchayat level, people might choose the BJP, but at the state level, they might want Congress, like they wanted their MP from Congress. We need to understand what people desire by visiting each panchayat and introspecting.”
