The Assam Cabinet's decision to make polygamy and unauthorised second marriages grounds for dismissal from government service drew widespread support from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders on Wednesday, 4 November 2026, with several calling for the policy to be extended to every state in India. The move, announced by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on 3 November, amends decades-old service rules and applies across all religious communities.

What the Assam Cabinet Decided

The Assam Cabinet has approved amendments to the Assam Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1964, inserting polygamy as an explicit ground for dismissal from government service. Under the revised rules, any state government employee found practising polygamy will not only lose their current post but will also be permanently disqualified from future government employment in the state.

Announcing the decision, Chief Minister Sarma stated: 'The Assam Cabinet has decided that if any Assam government employee is found to be polygamous, he or she will be dismissed from service.' He described it as a significant change in the state's service rules, adding that strict disciplinary action would follow for violations.

BJP Leaders Back the Move, Demand National Policy

BJP spokesperson Pratul Shahdeo, speaking from Ranchi, called polygamy a social evil and argued that the Assam initiative should inspire a pan-India response. 'Polygamy is a social evil that women have to suffer greatly from. Tell me, would any father want his daughter to become someone's second or fourth wife?... Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has taken a positive initiative in this regard. Those who practice polygamy should not only be disqualified from government jobs but should also face legal action and imprisonment,' he said.

Union Minister Giriraj Singh offered a brief but pointed endorsement: 'I think every state should implement this now.'

BJP Bihar President Sanjay Saraogi described the decision as 'a historic step towards women's empowerment and social justice,' and Bihar Minister Ram Kripal Yadav echoed the sentiment, saying the practice of multiple marriages 'makes women's lives miserable, both in their family life and on a personal level.'

Legal and Policy Context

Polygamy — having more than one spouse simultaneously — is prohibited under Hindu, Christian, and Parsi personal law, but had historically been permissible for Muslim men under personal law provisions. BJP leaders framed the Assam move as complementary to the broader push for a Uniform Civil Code (UCC), which seeks to bring all religious communities under a single set of civil laws governing marriage, divorce, and inheritance. Notably, the amended Assam rules apply to government employees across all religious communities, not exclusively to any one group.

This comes amid ongoing national debate over the UCC, with Uttarakhand having already enacted a version of the code in 2024 — the first state to do so. The Assam amendment, while narrower in scope, extends the principle into the domain of public employment.

Significance and What Comes Next

The amendment targets government employees specifically, making it a disciplinary rather than a purely criminal measure. Critics may question whether the rule adequately addresses polygamy outside the public sector, or whether enforcement mechanisms are robust enough to prevent misuse. No formal opposition response had been recorded at the time of reporting.

With BJP leaders in Bihar and at the Centre publicly backing a national rollout, pressure on other BJP-governed states to adopt similar provisions is likely to grow. How the Centre responds — particularly in the context of the UCC debate — will be closely watched in the coming weeks.