Sonitpur (Assam), 22 March (HS): As the Assam Assembly Elections 2026 approach, political activity has intensified across the state, with Naduar assembly constituency in Sonitpur district witnessing a charged electoral atmosphere. The seat, earlier known as Sootea before the 2024 delimitation, is considered a stronghold of the BJP, where sitting MLA Padma Hazarika continues to maintain a dominant position.
Padma Hazarika, who has been representing the region since 1996, enjoys significant grassroots support due to his sustained public outreach and development-oriented initiatives. Having won multiple terms—initially as an Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) candidate and later as a BJP leader—Hazarika has established a firm political base in the constituency.
The BJP is confident of retaining the seat, citing visible development work and strong voter connect. This was further reflected during the Chief Minister’s Jan Ashirwad Yatra, which reportedly saw massive public participation even late into the night, indicating Hazarika’s popularity in the region.
Despite BJP’s stronghold, the Congress is attempting to mount a serious challenge this time. The party witnessed a large number of aspirants for the ticket, with around 16 politicians expressing interest. Eventually, Congress has fielded Sunil Chhetri, a former president of the All Gorkha Students’ Union, as its candidate. He is being seen by some observers as a “parachute candidate” in the constituency.
Geographically, Naduar is a strategically significant constituency located near the Arunachal Pradesh border, between the Jia Bharali river and the north bank of the Brahmaputra. It has a diverse voter base, including Assamese, minority communities, Gorkhas, tea tribe populations, Bodos, Bengalis, and Mising communities.
Following the 2024 delimitation, the constituency has undergone structural changes, with certain areas redistributed to Rangapara and Biswanath constituencies, while new areas from Tezpur and Rangapara have been incorporated into Naduar. The seat now has a total electorate of around 2.10 lakh voters, with a nearly balanced gender ratio.
Historically, the constituency has seen political shifts between AGP, Congress, and BJP. After the Assam Movement, AGP’s Rabin Saikia won the seat in 1985, followed by Congress in 1991. Padma Hazarika began his winning streak in 1996 and has remained a dominant figure since, switching to BJP in 2016 and securing consecutive victories in 2016 and 2021.
As the election draws closer, Naduar is expected to witness a contest shaped by both development narratives and political legacy, though the BJP appears to have a clear edge with Padma Hazarika’s entrenched presence.----------
Hindusthan Samachar / Sriprakash
