Guwahati: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has officially announced that the 2026 Assam Legislative Assembly elections will be held on 9th April 2026. The announcement was made by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar during a high-level press conference at 4 pm on Sunday, setting the timeline for the 126-member assembly contest.

The current term of the Assam Assembly is set to expire on May 20, 2026. The Commission has finalised the schedule to ensure the entire electoral process is completed well before the state’s primary festival, Bohag Bihu, which falls in mid-April.

Assam Election 2026: Key dates at a glance

  • Date of Issue of Gazette Notification
    16.03.2026 (Monday)
  • Last Date for making Nominations
    23.03.2026 (Monday)
  • Date for the scrutiny of Nominations
    24.03.2026 (Tuesday)
  • Last date for the withdrawal of candidatures
    26.03.2026 (Thursday)
  • Date of Poll
    09.04.2026 (Thursday)
  • Date of Counting
    (Monday) 04.05.2026
  • Date before which election shall be completed
    06.05.2026 (Wednesday)

New Security Protocol for 2026

The ECI has introduced a new oversight mechanism for security. For the 2026 polls, ECI-nominated police observers will hold the final authority over the movement and placement of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) across all districts. This two-phase approach is designed to allow the concentrated deployment of security personnel, ensuring a violence-free environment in both the Brahmaputra and Barak valleys.

The election is expected to be a high-stakes battle between the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the opposition bloc.

NDA (Ruling): Led by the BJP, which currently holds 86 seats. The party has been in active seat-sharing talks with allies including the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and the United People's Party Liberal (UPPL).

Opposition: The Indian National Congress (INC) leads the main opposition challenge. The party has already taken a proactive step by releasing candidate lists for the seats even before the official dates were declared.

With over 2.49 crore eligible voters registered following the recent special revision of electoral rolls, the ECI has directed state officials to ensure all polling stations are equipped with basic facilities to handle a high voter turnout.