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The electoral battle in the Kokrajhar Assembly Constituency has reached a fever pitch as Assam prepares for polling on April 9. The constituency acts as the political barometer for the entire Bodo belt.
Although the region is primarily inhabited by the Bodo tribal community, it has significant populations of Bengali-speaking Muslims, Rajbongshis, and Adivasis (Tea tribes). Located in the heart of the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR), control over Kokrajhar usually translates to influence over the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC). The Bodoland People's Front (BPF), the ruling party in the Council, has fielded Sewli Mohilary, a high-profile businesswoman and wife of party chief Hagrama Mohilary. Additionally, BPF has officially re-aligned with the NDA for the upcoming polls, fueling the key battle. Standing in her way is the incumbent MLA, Lawrence Islary of the United People's Party Liberal (UPPL). Interestingly, Islary's party (UPPL) and the BJP were partners for the last five years but parted ways in 2026 after the BJP decided to pivot back to the BPF for the Assembly elections. Meanwhile, the Congress-led "Asom Sonmilito Morcha" has fielded Manik Chandra Brahma, hoping to consolidate the non-Bodo and minority votes that often act as the ultimate kingmakers in this ethnically diverse constituency. The main issues for the people in the state remain road connectivity, irrigation, employment opportunities, and the availability of clean drinking water in certain areas. In the 2021 Assam Assembly elections, the NDA, comprising the BJP, AGP and United People's Party Liberal (UPPL), won 75 seats. The Kokrajhar East constituency witnessed a major political shift when UPPL secured a decisive victory. Islary polled 83,515 votes, accounting for 54.8% of the total vote share. He defeated the eight-term incumbent Pramila Rani Brahma of BPF by a margin of 20,095 votes. Brahma, who had long dominated the region, managed to secure 63,420 votes (41.6%). In the neighbouring Kokrajhar West constituency, the BPF managed to hold its ground. Rabiram Narzary won the seat for the BPF, securing 77,509 votes with a 50.2% vote share. He successfully staved off a challenge from Manaranjan Brahma of the UPPL, who polled 65,438 votes (42.4%). Narzary maintained a winning margin of 12,071 votes. Voter engagement reached record levels during this cycle, in which 1,52,372 voters cast their ballots. This resulted in an exceptional voter turnout of 84.82%. In the 2016 Assam Assembly elections, Pramila Rani Brahma of the Bodoland People's Front (BPF) secured a landslide victory in the Kokrajhar East (ST) constituency. She polled 76,496 votes (56.3% share), defeating her nearest rival, Independent candidate Pratibha Brahma, by a massive margin of 40,091 votes. In Kokrajhar West (ST), Rabiram Narzary of the BPF won by polling 64,423 votes (46.1%), followed by Dahit Chandra Brahma of the AIUDF with 47,083 votes, resulting in a winning margin of 17,340 votes. This constituency featured a higher level of engagement, with 1,39,656 of the 1,59,496 registered electors casting their ballots, marking a robust 88.4% turnout The battle for Kokrajhar remains vital as it is part of a larger, reinforced block of tribal-reserved seats that now holds more collective power in the 126-member house. Assam will vote in a single phase on April 9, with counting of votes scheduled for May 4. (ANI)
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