Assam Assembly Elections 2026: 'TMC To Contest 51 Seats Alone,' Says Rajya Sabha MP Sushmita Dev

Guwahati, March 16: The All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) on Monday announced that it will contest 51 seats in the upcoming Assam Assembly elections scheduled for April 9, with party leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sushmita Dev declaring that the party will go it alone in the polls.

TMC to contest alone in Assam elections

Addressing a press conference in Guwahati, Dev said the Trinamool Congress would not enter into any alliance with the Congress or the broader opposition bloc, though she stressed that the party’s primary objective remains defeating the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

“At present, there is a growing demand among voters for a credible alternative beyond the BJP and the existing opposition. We believe the Trinamool Congress can offer that alternative,” she said.

Party expresses disappointment over opposition alliance

Dev expressed disappointment over the party not being included in the Congress-led united opposition platform in the state despite what she described as its growing presence in Assam.

“Despite being the second-largest party in Parliament and performing better than the Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) in the last panchayat elections, we were not taken into the Congress-led alliance,” she said.

At the same time, Dev said the TMC would avoid contesting in constituencies where candidates of the Congress-led opposition alliance are already in the fray.

“Our aim is to defeat the BJP, not the opposition,” she said, adding that the party’s strategy is to strengthen the anti-BJP vote without splitting it unnecessarily.

Criticism over BJP leaders’ visits before poll announcement

Dev also took aim at the BJP leadership, accusing the party of timing high-profile visits by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to Assam just days before the Election Commission of India announced the poll schedule.

She pointed out that the Prime Minister visited the state on March 13 and 14, during which he inaugurated several major infrastructure projects including expressways, bridges and railway links. Soon after, Shah arrived on March 15 to attend a youth conference and hold meetings with BJP leaders.

“Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah held their programmes in Assam, and immediately after these events concluded, the Election Commission announced the poll schedule,” Dev said.

She alleged that the back-to-back visits appeared designed to influence the electoral atmosphere, claiming that the programmes functioned as campaign events funded by the public exchequer.

“When such large-scale government events take place just before the election schedule is announced, it blurs the line between official duties and electioneering,” she remarked.

Concerns over political rhetoric

Dev, who has been actively campaigning across Assam in recent months, also renewed her criticism of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. She claimed that some of his remarks were “disturbing peace and jeopardising the internal security of Assam.”

With the campaign season set to intensify in the coming weeks, Dev appealed to political parties to maintain decorum and focus on development issues rather than divisive rhetoric.

“As elections approach, the priority should be the welfare and progress of the people of Assam,” she added.

Questions over Zubeen Kshetra project

Responding to a question, Assam TMC senior vice-president Dulu Ahmed said the BJP-led state government had failed to begin construction of the proposed Zubeen Kshetra even five months after the death of the cultural icon. He expressed doubt that any work would start before the Assembly elections.

“There is little hope that construction will begin before the elections. We are not trying to politicise the issue,” Ahmed said. He added that once the new government is formed on May 4, the party would launch a peaceful protest demanding immediate construction of the Zubeen Kshetra.

“From that day, people from across the state can gather at a designated place and protest peacefully until the project finally takes shape,” he said, adding that the agitation would continue until construction begins.

Ahmed also clarified that the party would not use the name of singer Zubeen Garg for political gain during the election period. “The poll schedule has already been announced, and we will not do politics in the name of Zubeen Garg,” he said.

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Criticism over electricity tariff hike

Meanwhile, Assam TMC Media Department chairman Abhijit Mazumdar criticised the state government over the electricity tariff hike. He alleged that while power is being purchased from the North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO) at a relatively low price, consumers in Assam are being charged higher rates.

Mazumdar also demanded that the government provide at least 100 units of electricity free of cost to households in the state.