Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma announces SKAC polls in November on party-less basis
Synopsis
Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma has set a November 2026 date for Sonowal Kachari Autonomous Council elections — but with a twist: no party symbols on the ballot and senior BJP leaders barred from campaigning. The party-less model, already tested in panchayat polls, is now being extended to tribal self-governance bodies, even as Congress and AGP scramble to organise on the ground.
Key Takeaways
Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma announced Sonowal Kachari Autonomous Council (SKAC) elections for November 2026 on 25 September 2026 .
Polls will be conducted on a party-less basis — the Election Commission will allot symbols, and no formal party symbols will be used.
Senior BJP leaders including MLAs and ministers will not campaign, though ordinary party workers may participate.
The Assam Cabinet also approved simultaneous elections to the Mising Autonomous Council .
The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee has formed a 50-member coordination committee covering seven districts for the SKAC election.
The Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) has announced it will contest independently.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday, 25 September 2026 announced that elections to the Sonowal Kachari Autonomous Council (SKAC) will be held in November 2026, with polls to be conducted on a party-less basis. The Assam Cabinet had formalised the decision a day earlier, also scheduling concurrent elections to the Mising Autonomous Council.
How the Party-Less Format Will Work
Speaking to reporters in Guwahati, Sarma explained that while candidates backed by political parties may contest, the Election Commission will allot symbols independently and no formal party symbols will appear on the ballot. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has confirmed it will allow its candidates to participate in both the Sonowal Kachari and Mising Autonomous Council elections without formally flying the party flag.
Sarma drew a direct parallel with Assam's recent panchayat elections, which were similarly conducted on a party-less basis. 'The objective is to prevent voters and communities at the grassroots level from becoming divided along party lines,' he said.
Senior BJP Leaders to Step Back From Campaigning
The Chief Minister added a notable rider: senior BJP leaders — including MLAs, ministers, and other elected representatives — will stay away from the campaign trail. Ordinary party workers, however, remain free to participate within the bounds of election rules. The distinction is intended to keep the contest focused on local candidates and community-level concerns rather than escalating into a broader inter-party battle.
About the Sonowal Kachari Autonomous Council
The Sonowal Kachari Autonomous Council is one of Assam's statutory autonomous councils, established to oversee the social, economic, educational and cultural development of the Sonowal Kachari Scheduled Tribe community. The council holds significance as a vehicle for tribal self-governance in the state's upper Assam belt, covering districts such as Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, Dhemaji, Jorhat, Golaghat, Sivasagar and Lakhimpur.
Opposition Parties Gear Up
Political preparations are already under way despite the party-less framing. The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) has constituted a 50-member coordination committee specifically for the Sonowal Kachari council election, spanning the seven districts mentioned above. The Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) has also stepped up its groundwork and announced it intends to contest independently.
The November elections will test whether the party-less model — which Assam's ruling dispensation has now applied across multiple tiers of local governance — succeeds in depoliticising tribal council polls or whether it simply shifts visible party activity below the surface.
Point of View
But autonomous councils carry statutory weight over Scheduled Tribe welfare, making the stakes considerably higher. Congress's rapid formation of a 50-member coordination committee signals that opposition parties see through the optics: this is still a political contest, just with the labels peeled off. The real question is whether removing visible party symbols genuinely insulates tribal governance from factional capture, or simply obscures it.
NationPress
25 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
When will the Sonowal Kachari Autonomous Council elections be held?
The Sonowal Kachari Autonomous Council elections are scheduled for November 2026, as announced by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on 25 September 2026. The Assam Cabinet formally approved the decision on 24 September 2026.
What does 'party-less' elections mean for the SKAC polls?
Under the party-less format, candidates backed by political parties may contest, but the Election Commission will allot symbols independently and no formal party symbols will appear on the ballot. Senior BJP leaders including MLAs and ministers will also refrain from campaigning, though ordinary workers are free to participate.
Why is the BJP contesting without party symbols?
Chief Minister Sarma stated the objective is to prevent grassroots communities from becoming divided along party lines. The BJP applied a similar approach during Assam's panchayat elections, and is now extending it to the Sonowal Kachari and Mising Autonomous Council polls.
Which opposition parties are preparing for the SKAC election?
The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee has constituted a 50-member coordination committee for the Sonowal Kachari council election, covering districts including Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, Dhemaji, Jorhat, Golaghat, Sivasagar and Lakhimpur. The Asom Gana Parishad has also announced it will contest independently.
What is the Sonowal Kachari Autonomous Council?
The Sonowal Kachari Autonomous Council is a statutory autonomous body in Assam established for the social, economic, educational and cultural development of the Sonowal Kachari Scheduled Tribe community. It is one of several autonomous councils in Assam designed to facilitate tribal self-governance.
