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 Party (BJP). Though there has been no official confirmation from any side, the timing of the speculation has added to the political buzz. Sources within the BJP have claimed that Saikia has been in talks for some time regarding a possible Rajya Sabha seat. However, there has been no formal statement to support these claims. The development comes at a sensitive time for the Assam unit of the Congress, which is already dealing with the recent exit of its former state president Bhupen Borah. Borah resigned from the party and joined the BJP, a move that has caused unease within Congress ranks. If Saikia were to switch sides, it would mark another major defection from the Congress in Assam. Political observers say such a move could deepen the crisis within the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections. The Congress is currently trying to steady its organisation after Borah’s departure.
Speaking to reporters, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the BJP has “almost finalised” its candidates for all three Rajya Sabha seats from Assam.“If you check Debabrata Saikia’s statements in the last five years, you will see that each time he says that his mother is not allowing him to shift. Otherwise he had no issues joining BJP,” Sarma remarked.He added that the party has nearly completed its internal process. “The Bharatiya Janata Party has almost fixed candidates for all three seats. There is no vacancy as such. We will contest from all three constituencies for the Rajya Sabha biennial elections and will win from all three seats,” he said.Saikia, however, denied the reports and described them as baseless. “I am unaware of all this. I don’t know. These are all speculative news. An attempt to create confusion among Congress ranks. You mention the source, I will then answer based on that,” he told the media. Earlier in the day, he categorically ruled out joining the BJP. He sought to calm the political buzz that followed Sarma’s remarks and Borah’s recent defection. Expressing disappointment over Borah’s move, Saikia spoke about their long political association. “Let him go. I will give him my blessings. He was my president, we worked together. When I first became a new MLA in 2001, he guided me on how to present my views in the Assembly. I respect his guidance,” Saikia said. He added that he was not aware of the exact reasons behind Borah’s decision to leave the Congress.
At the same time, Saikia made it clear that ideological differences would stop him from crossing over. “Anyone who has public service at heart will do politics for policy and ideals. We have no good feelings for this outside party that divides Assamese society in the name of ideology, so I won’t join the BJP,” he stated.The speculation gained more attention after the Chief Minister, on February 17, predicted that more senior Congress leaders would eventually join the BJP. He named both Debabrata Saikia and MP Pradyut Bordoloi as leaders who, in his view, could switch sides in the future. According to Sarma, Bordoloi might move before the 2029 Lok Sabha elections, while Saikia could consider joining the BJP after the upcoming Assembly polls if the results do not favour him. These remarks further intensified the discussion around possible political realignments in the state.Sarma described Bhupen Borah’s entry into the BJP as a “major political shift” in Assam. He claimed that several Congress leaders and workers from Guwahati and Lakhimpur were also preparing to join the ruling party.“Bhupen Borah will be given respect and dignity. Joining the BJP will be like a homecoming for him. This is a party of simple people,” Sarma said. He emphasised that there was “no bargaining” involved in Borah’s decision. “He did not join after negotiations. I have gone through the same pain,” he added, referring to his own exit from the Congress years ago.