Counting of votes for the Assam Assembly elections 2026 begins on Monday, 5 May 2026, across 40 counting centres in the state's 35 districts, with the outcome set to determine whether the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) secures a third consecutive term or the opposition alliance engineers a breakthrough. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Assam Congress chief Gaurav Gogoi, and several other prominent leaders are among those whose political futures will be decided by the day's tally.

Counting Arrangements and Security

Election officials confirmed that Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) from all 126 Assembly constituencies have been secured in strong rooms under round-the-clock surveillance ahead of the count. In districts with larger constituencies, additional venues have been arranged — Nagaon will have three separate counting centres, while Kokrajhar, Tinsukia, and Jorhat will each host two.

A multi-layered security framework is in place. Twenty-five companies of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) have been deployed to guard counting centres and strong rooms, with Chief Electoral Officer Anurag Goel confirming that two additional CAPF companies will remain on static reserve duty. Around 800 unarmed police personnel will oversee EVM transport from storage to counting halls, and 93 companies of the State Armed Police are stationed across districts. Authorities have also deployed 85 special assault teams to respond swiftly to any untoward incident.

Voter Turnout and Candidate Field

Polling was held on 9 April 2026, recording an impressive voter turnout of 85.96% from an electorate of more than 2.50 crore. A total of 722 candidates are in the fray, including 59 women contenders. The Indian National Congress (Congress) fielded the highest number of candidates at 99, followed by the BJP with 90. The All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) contested 30 seats.

Among NDA allies, the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) fielded 26 candidates, while the Bodo Peoples' Front contested 11 seats. Within the opposition bloc, Raijor Dal fielded 13 candidates, Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) contested 10, CPI(M) three, and the All Party Hill Leaders Conference two. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and United People's Party Liberal contested 18 seats each, All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) fielded 22 candidates, and the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) contested 16. There are also 258 Independent candidates.

Key Candidates to Watch

The day's results carry outsized significance for several high-profile names. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma is seeking to consolidate his position as the NDA's dominant face in the Northeast. On the opposition side, Congress president Gaurav Gogoi is contesting amid his party's push to reclaim relevance in a state it once dominated. Assembly Speaker Biswajit Daimary, Leader of Opposition Debabrata Saikia, AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal, MP Akhil Gogoi, and AJP chief Lurinjyoti Gogoi are among the other prominent figures whose fates will be decided on Monday.

Notably, this is the first Assam election since the 2021 polls in which the BJP enters as the incumbent with a full majority, making a third consecutive win historically significant for the party's Northeast strategy.

What the Results Mean for Assam and the Northeast

The verdict will shape Assam's political course for the next five years and is being closely watched across the Northeast, where the BJP has built its most consolidated regional presence. A strong NDA performance would reinforce Sarma's stature as a national-level political figure; an opposition breakthrough, however narrow, would signal the first credible challenge to BJP dominance in the region since 2016. Results are expected to be largely clear by Monday evening.