The BJP-led ruling alliance in Assam will field candidates for all three Rajya Sabha seats from the state that are scheduled to fall vacant in April, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on January 9, signalling a clear and aggressive electoral strategy ahead of the Upper House polls.
Addressing a press conference in Guwahati, Sarma said the ruling front was confident of winning at least two of the three seats, while the third seat could also swing in its favour. “The BJP, AGP and our united front will put candidates in all three seats,” he said. “We will win in two for sure. The third one, we may win or lose.”
The three Rajya Sabha seats are currently held by two BJP members — Bhubaneswar Kalita and Rameswar Teli — and Independent MP Ajit Kumar Bhuyan, whose term also ends in April. 
Sarma said the ruling alliance had earlier chosen not to field a candidate against Bhuyan, believing that he would maintain a neutral position and work in the interest of the state. However, the chief minister indicated that the government’s view had changed. Referring to allegations related to the utilisation of Rajya Sabha MP development funds, Sarma said the public was now aware of how those funds were handled, without naming specific details.
The chief minister underlined that the current strength of the ruling coalition in the Assam Assembly placed it in a strong position for the Rajya Sabha elections. The BJP has 64 MLAs, while its allies — the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL) and Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) — together account for another 19 legislators. On the opposition benches, the Congress has 26 MLAs, the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) has 15, the CPI(M) has one, and there is one Independent MLA.
With these numbers, the BJP-led alliance appears confident of comfortably securing two seats and mounting a serious challenge for the third.
Sarma’s remarks came on the same day that Ajit Kumar Bhuyan stepped up his attack on the BJP and its allies, calling for a united opposition front across Assam to defeat the ruling party.
Speaking to Northeast Scoop earlier on January 9, Bhuyan made a strong appeal to opposition parties and social groups to put aside differences and work together against the BJP. Using a sharp metaphor, he said, “Whether one is a tiger or a goat, everyone has to come together” to remove the BJP from power in Assam.
Bhuyan accused the BJP of damaging the Assam Accord and failing to fulfil long-standing promises, particularly on Clause 6, which relates to safeguards for indigenous communities. He said repeated assurances by the BJP-led government had not translated into concrete action, leaving many communities disappointed.
He also criticised the functioning of democratic institutions under the present government and accused the BJP of weakening bodies meant to operate independently. Bhuyan said his criticism was not meant to defend any other party, but to highlight what he described as a steady erosion of democratic norms.
In some of his strongest remarks, Bhuyan targeted the AGP for continuing its alliance with the BJP, saying the regional party had compromised the principles on which it was formed during the Assam Movement. He described the alliance as a betrayal of the Assam Accord and the sacrifices made during that period.
Against this backdrop, Bhuyan’s party, Jatiya Dal Assam on january 9 formally merged with the Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) as part of a broader attempt to consolidate anti-BJP forces. He said the move was based on principle and not personal ambition, adding that he would not hold any post in the merged party or contest elections.
