GUWAHATI: Regionalism in Assam, once the dominant force in the state’s politics, is at its weakest now.Asom Gana Parishad , born out of the historic Assam movement against Bangladeshi infiltrators and twice forming the govt, has steadily declined since the rise of BJP. Reduced to its lowest tally of nine seats in 2021, the party has managed only a marginal improvement this time, securing 10 seats.Once the largest regional party in the North-East, AGP, which handheld BJP in 2001 assembly polls and later in LS polls as a senior partner, now survives largely as a junior partner in the BJP-led NDA.Similarly, two smaller and newer regional outfits, Raijor Dal and Assam Jatiya Parishad, which contested their second assembly elections in 2026, are still struggling to gain a solid foothold. While Raijor Dal, led by Akhil Gogoi, has managed to improve its 2021 tally of one seat to two, AJP has drawn ablank for the second time.Two other regional parties, UPPL and BPF, based out of the Bodo heartland, are no better off. UPPL, which won six seats in 2021, has managed just one this time, while BPF, which won four last time, has bagged 10 seats.Together, AGP, Raijor Dal and BPF hold 22 of Assam’s 126 assembly seats, compared to BJP’s 82.
