Assam

The Election Commission of India on February 18 announced that biennial elections to 37 Rajya Sabha seats across 10 states will be held on March 16. Assam is among the states where three seats will fall vacant. While the poll schedule was widely expected, the political developments that followed have drawn sharp attention in Guwahati.Within hours of the announcement, speculation began circulating in political circles that senior Congress leader and Leader of Opposition Debabrata Saikia could be looking at a Rajya Sabha berth. There were claims that such a move might come with the backing of the ruling Bharatiya Janata…

Only a few weeks remain until the Assembly elections, and Union Home Minister Amit Shah will arrive in Silchar tonight for a three-day trip to Assam. According to officials, he will spend the night in Silchar, in the Cachar district, before going to the BSF's Natunpur border outpost on the India-Bangladesh border on February 20 to assess the security situation. The forward post visit coincides with increased attention being paid to border security in the run-up to the elections. The Vibrant Villages Programme (VVP), a Central initiative to improve lives and fortify infrastructure in border areas, will be introduced by…

In Assam, over 170,000 illegal foreigners have been identified since the enforcement of the Assam Accord in 1985, as reported by the state's Accord Implementation Minister, Atul Bora, in the State Assembly. He revealed that approximately 31,000 individuals have been repatriated since the Accord's inception. In the last year alone, 1,421 illegal immigrants were expelled under directives from the Ministry of Home Affairs, and an additional 52 individuals were removed in accordance with the Immigrants (Expulsion from Assam) Act of 1950. Bora detailed that out of the identified immigrants, 137,152 had entered Assam after March 25, 1971, while another 33,485…

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced on Wednesday that the ruling BJP party plans to contest all three Rajya Sabha seats in Assam. He stated that candidates for these seats are nearly finalised, as confirmed to the media. The Election Commission of India has scheduled the biennial Rajya Sabha elections for March 16, which will span across 10 states, including Assam. This election will fill the seats that are becoming vacant due to the terms of incumbent members Rameswar Teli, Bhubaneswar Kalita, and Ajit Kumar Bhuyan expiring. Sarma expressed confidence in the BJP's ability to achieve a clean sweep…

Addressing the media, Gaurav Gogoi, President of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee, said the screening process for candidates is being expedited and, after consultations with the central leadership, the first phase of the Congress candidates’ list is likely by the end of February. He asserted that the Congress is ahead in election preparations and confirmed that alliances with like-minded opposition parties are certain, claiming that parties aligning with Congress grow stronger while those aligning with the Bharatiya Janata Party weaken, citing Asom Gana Parishad and United People's Party Liberal as examples. Responding to speculation about Bhupen Bora joining the BJP,…

Chief Election Commissioner of India (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar on Wednesday said the primary objective of the Special Revision of electoral rolls in Assam was to “ensure inclusion of all eligible voters and exclusion of all ineligible electors in the final electoral rolls.A total of 2,49,58,139 voters are included in the final voter list for Special Revision (SR) 2026, representing a 0.97 percent decrease compared to the draft voter list.Addressing mediapersons here, the CEC said that the fact that there have only about 500 appeals across all districts, meant that the SR process, which began in mid-November has been done in…

ManipalCigna Health Insurance has intensified its efforts to expand access to quality healthcare across Northeast India through its flagship product ManipalCigna Sarvah, which was recognised as the Product of the Year 2025 in the health insurance category following a consumer survey conducted by NielsenIQ. Designed to simplify and widen the reach of health insurance, the product offers comprehensive and flexible coverage tailored to the evolving medical needs of families across the Northeast, ranging from essential protection for first-time buyers to advanced plans featuring innovative benefits such as zero waiting period options. As part of its regional expansion strategy, the company…

Assam Rifles flagged off “The Eastern Edge Expedition” on 18 February 2026 from Pangsau Pass, Arunachal Pradesh to Jorhat, Assam, in partnership with Hero MotoCorp. The rally scheduled from 18 February 2026 to 02 March 2026 under Operation Sadbhavana 2025–26, celebrates resilience, camaraderie and the indomitable spirit of the Northeast. The expedition aims to showcase the breathtaking landscapes, vibrant culture and immense potential of the region while fostering unity and national integration. Covering challenging terrains and remote routes, the rally stands as a tribute to the endurance and determination that define both the Armed Forces and the people of the…

The Congress MLAs staged a walkout in the Assam Assembly's Budget session today, demanding disqualification of its two MLAs who had joined the Raijor Dal recently.As soon as the House assembled, Leader of Opposition Debabrata Saikia sought the Speaker's ruling on two notices submitted by the Congress against the two legislators.Abdur Rashid Mandal and Sherman Ali Ahmed, who were suspended by the Congress earlier, had joined the Akhil Gogoi-led Raijor Dal.Speaker Biswajit Daimary maintained that he just received the notices and would need time to go through them.The Congress did not expel the two MLAs but expected that the Speaker…

In a significant step towards mitigating human-elephant conflict (HEC) inAssam, leading biodiversity conservation organisation Aaranyak, with support from SBIFoundation, has successfully installed a nearly 10-kilometre-long community-managedsolar-powered fence system in Bhangrikuchi village of Baksa district in Assam.The initiative covers 18 hamlets and safeguards the croplands and around 285 householdsthat have long faced conflicts with wild elephants.Bhangrikuchi has been highly vulnerable to frequent encounters with wild elephants, leadingto severe damage to agricultural fields and residential property.The newly-installed fence system provides a safe, non-lethal and eco-friendly deterrent toelephants besides discouraging use of illegal and hazardous electric fence to ward off wildelephants.Beyond protection, the…