Guwahati: In the maiden election for the Silchar Municipal Corporation, the BJP‑led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) emerged with a sweeping victory, securing 34 out of the 42 available seats. The BJP alone won 32 wards, while its ally Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) added two more. The Congress managed only two triumphs, and independent candidates captured the remaining six seats.
The poll, held on 3 October, was conducted using traditional ballot papers rather than electronic voting machines (EVMs). Voting took place across 40 wards, with two BJP candidates declared elected unopposed. Counting began on Tuesday, after which the results were released.
BJP registers a commanding win
With 34 seats in its pocket, the NDA now controls a comfortable majority in Silchar’s first elected municipal body. The BJP contested 38 wards and emerged victorious in 32 of them; AGP secured two seats. The Congress also fielded candidates in 38 wards but could win only two, while six independents succeeded. A total of 133 candidates vied for positions.
The BJP has lodged recount requests in two wards – one where an independent candidate prevailed and another where the Congress won. Election officials have yet to rule on these petitions.
Himanta Sarma targets Congress
Following the outcome, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma used the occasion to criticize the Congress. Highlighting that the vote was cast on paper, he argued that the party’s poor showing could not be blamed on the absence of EVMs.
Sarma further claimed the result reflected widespread endorsement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership and the BJP’s development agenda. In a social‑media post, he described the NDA’s performance as a major triumph for the party in Silchar.
His remarks arrive as the Congress continues to question electronic voting and raise allegations about electoral integrity. Sarma, however, used the paper‑ballot outcome to counter those accusations.
BJP state chief also attacks Congress
Assam BJP president Dilip Saikia echoed the chief minister’s sentiment, welcoming the results and taking aim at the Congress. He underscored that the Silchar contest was run on ballot papers, arguing that the victory disproves the Congress’s repeated claims of EVM manipulation.
Party workers celebrated at the BJP headquarters in Guwahati, framing the win as a boost to the party’s urban foothold in the Barak Valley.
Civic issues dominated the campaign
Beyond partisan reactions, local concerns shaped the electoral discourse. Voters voiced frustrations over deteriorating roads, inadequate drainage, chronic water‑logging, unreliable electricity, and insufficient drinking‑water supply.
Silchar’s municipal body was upgraded to a 42‑ward corporation in 2022 and became operational in June 2025, ending a years‑long hiatus without an elected civic authority. The NDA’s decisive performance now provides the ruling alliance with a clear mandate to address these longstanding municipal challenges, and the outcome is being read as a bellwether for upcoming elections across Assam.
