Mariani Assembly seat of Assam has once again become one of the most talked about and politically important seats of the state. This time in the assembly elections, an interesting political tussle of legacy versus change is being seen. Here the political hold established for decades is facing a new challenge.

The influence of the Kurmi family has remained here for three decades. It started in the year 1991, when Rupam Kurmi won for the first time and represented this area politically till 2004. She was a senior leader of Congress. Apart from this, she had also been a cabinet minister in the government of former Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi.

He died on 4 February 2004. After this his son carried forward his political legacy. Rupjyoti Kurmi won this seat since 2006. He contested as a Congress candidate in 2006, 2011, 2016 and 2021. In June 2021, he left Congress and joined BJP. After this, he proved his support base by winning the by-election held in October 2021. Barring a short interval from 2004 to 2006, the Mariani seat has been almost completely under the control of the Kurmi family since 1991, making it one of the strongest political seats in Assam.

The equation changed with the entry of a new face
This time there has been a new twist in the elections. The alliance of Congress and Raijor Dal has made Dr. Gyanashree Bora a joint candidate, who is contesting the elections for the first time. Former teacher Dr. Bora is presenting herself as a candidate working on grassroots issues. He has clearly said that his main aim will be to strongly raise the problems of the people of Mariani in the Assembly and ensure their solution.

Main issues of the election?
Dr. Bora’s election campaign focuses on several important local issues. These include issues like the Assam-Nagaland border dispute (which affects people in the border areas), lack of clean drinking water, poor roads and infrastructure, increasing unemployment among the youth. His decision to leave a permanent teaching career and enter politics is also being presented among the public as a symbol of dedication and change.

Power of Roopjyoti Kurmi
On the other hand, Rupjyoti Kurmi is contesting this election with many strong parties. These include long political experience, strong grassroots network, organized structure of BJP, record of development work and public relations. His winning the election despite changing parties in 2021 shows that his personal support base is very strong.

Decisive turn in Mariani’s politics
Political analysts believe that this 2026 election is not just a normal contest but a turning point for Mariani’s politics. It is a contest between heritage, experience and continuity (Rupjyoti Kurmi) versus change, new thinking and issue-based politics (Dr. Gyanashree Bora). This election will decide whether voters maintain faith in the old and established leadership or move in a new direction.

What is the opinion of experts on the entire election?
On this, experts say that the strong history of the Kurmi family and the organizational strength of the BJP give an edge to Rupjyoti Kurmi, but the anti-incumbency wave and the attraction of a new face can make the contest tough. The challenge for Dr Bora will be to convert public discontent into votes, especially among the youth and first-time voters. The challenge before the Kurmis is to face the demand for change while maintaining their support. As the election campaign is gaining momentum, Mariani stands at an important political juncture. This contest is not only going to be high-voltage and close, but its outcome may also have an impact on the broader political scenario. Now all eyes are on Mariani’s voters—will they choose experience and continuity or give way to change and a new voice? This decision will decide the next chapter of this historic seat.

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The political atmosphere in Assam further heated up on the last day of filing of nominations, when Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma made a sharp and controversial attack on Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi. He said that if Gaurav Gogoi contests elections in Pakistan, he will get more votes.

This statement came when Sarma had reached Golaghat to attend the nomination program of BJP-AGP alliance candidates. Talking to reporters, the Chief Minister initially wished all the candidates good luck on the last day of nominations.

Pro-incumbency wave in Assam

Sarma claimed that the political environment in entire Assam is in favor of the ruling coalition. He said, ‘From what I have seen in the last 10 days, it is clear that BJP and its allies will form the government again this time and will break all previous records.’ Describing party defection as normal during the election season, he said that 10-12 candidates changing parties is not a big deal and it is less as compared to previous elections.

Strong government will be formed-Sarma

Although he refused to give the exact number of seats, but expressed confidence of forming a very strong government. He said, “I cannot tell the number of seats, but even on the seats where earlier we were afraid of defeat, the atmosphere now seems to be in our favor.”

Congress-Raizor party alliance targeted

Attacking the opposition, Sarma described the alliance of Congress and Raijor Dal as formed too late and ineffective. He said, ‘They made the alliance very late. They had no time to campaign together or hold joint meetings. I think this alliance will remain limited to papers only. He also mentioned about the friendly contest between BJP and AGP on Sivasagar seat.

Questions on Gaurav Gogoi’s leadership

Sarma also raised questions on the leadership ability of Gaurav Gogoi and linked the party changes taking place in Congress to internal weakness. He said, ‘Congress has been the mother of Indian politics, but why is it not able to stop its leaders? If Gaurav Gogoi himself accepts failure then it shows that he is not a capable leader.

APSC recruitment and corruption issue

Sarma also talked about issues related to governance and compared the BJP government with the previous Congress government, especially regarding transparency in the recruitment process. He said, ‘There was a time when people had to pay crores of rupees as bribe to get a job through APSC. There is no need to give anything to anyone today. The public knows where honesty lies.

Political heat increased due to controversial remarks

Sarma took another sharp dig and said, ‘I wish him all the best, but if he contests elections in Pakistan, he may get more votes.’ This comment of the Chief Minister is likely to evoke sharp reactions in political circles and further heat up the election atmosphere in Assam as the campaign has entered its decisive phase.

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The seat sharing formula between NDA in Assam has almost been decided. According to sources, BJP alone can contest on 89 seats in the upcoming assembly elections. Apart from this, Assam Gana Parishad (AGP) is likely to get 26 seats. At the same time, Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) can be given 11 seats.

This alliance formula of NDA covers a total of 126 seats in the 126-member Assam Assembly. Sources said that the final decision can be formally announced in a few days. This formula has almost been decided after the ongoing meetings and discussions of NDA parties for the last few days. BJP wants to maintain its strength in Assam and contest as many seats as possible while AGP and BPF are being given seats in their traditional strength areas.