Opposition Voices Concern Over Brief Single-Phase Election Schedule in Assam

The Assam Jatiya Parishad and the CPI(M) have expressed strong disappointment following the Election Commission’s announcement that the state’s 126 Assembly constituencies will vote in a single phase on April 9, 2026. Both parties, which are pre-poll allies of the Congress, criticized the condensed three-week timeline between the nomination deadline and polling day. AJP leaders Lurinjyoti Gogoi and Jagadish Bhuyan alleged that the rapid schedule unfairly benefits the ruling BJP, which possesses the financial resources and government machinery to conduct a statewide blitz using helicopters, while smaller opposition parties will struggle to cover the state’s difficult topography in such a short window.

The CPI(M) echoed these concerns, with State Secretary Suprakash Talukdar arguing that a single-phase election is unsuitable for Assam due to logistical, security, and weather-related challenges. The party suggested that the Election Commission may have been influenced by the ruling dispensation to favor a “hurried” process. In contrast, the Congress party has adopted a more confident stance, stating they are fully prepared for the challenge and have already begun releasing candidate lists. As the state gears up for the April 9 vote, with counting scheduled for May 4, the debate over the neutrality and feasibility of this expedited election cycle continues to intensify.