Guwahati, 02 March (HS): Political activities have begun to intensify across Assam as the 2026 Assembly elections draw nearer, with the newly created No. 35 New Guwahati assembly constituency emerging as a key focus area in Kamrup (Metro) district.
The 2026 elections are being considered significant as they will be the first to be held after the recent delimitation of constituencies. The exercise led to the dissolution of some constituencies and the creation of new ones. In Kamrup (Metro), the number of Assembly segments has increased from four — Dispur, East Guwahati, West Guwahati and Jalukbari — to five. Dimoria has been created as a new Scheduled Tribe reserved seat, while the erstwhile East Guwahati constituency has been replaced with the New Guwahati constituency.
With the electoral battle still months away, aspirants from various political parties have already stepped up grassroots outreach in the New Guwahati segment. Although parties are yet to officially declare their candidates, leaders have begun holding meetings and public interactions to strengthen their claims amid growing enthusiasm among party workers and voters alike.
The New Guwahati constituency has been carved out primarily from the former East Guwahati segment, which was the state’s only fully urban constituency. Following delimitation, several areas were redistributed to Jalukbari and Central Guwahati constituencies. The new constituency now comprises 17 wards under the Guwahati Municipal Corporation, including prominent localities such as Paltan Bazar, Uzan Bazar, Chandmari, Rajgarh, Jyotinagar, Hengrabari, Hatigarh Chariali, Tarun Nagar, Anil Nagar, parts of Zoo Road, Bamunimaidam, Noonmati and Borbari, among others.
According to the recently published draft electoral roll, the total number of voters in the New Guwahati constituency stands at 1,96,016. This includes 94,390 male voters, 1,01,621 female voters and five third-gender voters. Notably, female voters outnumber male voters in the constituency. The number of polling stations has also been increased from 201 to 219.
Among the prominent contenders from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), sitting East Guwahati MLA Siddhartha Bhattacharya is considered a strong aspirant for the new seat. However, senior leader Rupam Goswami, youth leaders Pranav Lahkar and Shashank Deka, and woman leader Aparajita Bhuyan are also reportedly seeking nomination. The final decision regarding candidature will rest with the party leadership.
Siddhartha Bhattacharya has represented the former East Guwahati constituency since 2016. In the 2016 Assembly elections, he defeated Congress candidate Babita Sharma, securing 1,27,602 votes (78.49%), while Sharma received 30,965 votes (19%). In 2021, he again retained the seat by defeating Congress candidate Asima Bordoloi, polling 1,13,461 votes (66%) against her 29,361 votes (17%).
With the New Guwahati constituency set to witness its first-ever Assembly election in 2026, political observers believe the contest will be closely watched, particularly in view of the new demographic composition and heightened interest among young aspirants seeking to shape the future leadership of the urban constituency.--------
Hindusthan Samachar / Sriprakash
