1996 Assam Legislative Assembly election

Elections to the Assam Legislative Assembly were held in April 1996 to elect members of 114 constituencies in Assam, India. The Indian National Congress (INC) won the popular vote, but the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) won the most seats and Prafulla Kumar Mahanta was appointed as the Chief Minister of Assam for his second term.^[1][2] The number of constituencies was set as 126, by the recommendation of the Delimitation Commission of India,^[3] but elections were held in only 122 constituencies. The constituencies of Dispur, Dergaon, Nazira and Margherita did not go to polls immediately, but they had polls in November 1996.

1996 Assam Legislative Assembly election

← 1991 27 April 1996 2001 →
122 seats in the Assam Legislative Assembly 62 seats needed for a majority
Registered	12,119,125
Turnout	78.92%
Majority party Minority party   Leader Prafulla Kumar Mahanta Hiteswar Saikia Party AGP INC Seats won 59 34 Seat change 40 32 Popular vote 29.70% 30.56%
CM before election Bhumidhar Barman INC Elected CM Prafulla Kumar Mahanta AGP

Background

The Chief Minister of Assam, Hiteswar Saikia, died in Delhi, on 22 April 1996, just 5 days before the election.^[4] Bhumidhar Barman was sworn in as chief-minister, but since the INC wasn't able to form the government after the election, his tenure was just 22 days.

In 1993, the breakaway group of the AGP, the Natun Asom Gana Parishad, merged back with the AGP. Additionally, the AGP formed a five-party alliance before the elections, with the CPI, the CPI(M), the ASDC and the UMFA.^[5]

Result

Party		Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	Indian National Congress	2,778,627	30.56	34	32
	Asom Gana Parishad	2,700,934	29.70	59	40
	Bharatiya Janata Party	946,236	10.41	4	6
	All India Indira Congress (Tiwari)	337,668	3.71	2	New
	Autonomous State Demand Committee	179,877	1.98	5	1
	Communist Party of India	177,750	1.95	3	1
	Communist Party of India (Marxist)	176,721	1.94	2	0
	United Minorities Front, Assam	105,408	1.16	2	New
	Others	105,471	1.16	0	0
	Independents	1,584,109	17.42	11	4
Total		9,092,801	100.00	122	4
Valid votes		9,092,801	95.07
Invalid/blank votes		471,632	4.93
Total votes		9,564,433	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		12,119,125	78.92
Source: ECI[6]

Elected members

Constituency	Reserved for (SC/ST/None)	Member	Party
Ratabari	SC	Sambhusing Mallah		Bharatiya Janata Party
Patharkandi	None	Sukhendu Shekhar Dutta		Bharatiya Janata Party
Karimganj North	None	Sirajul Haque Choudhury		Asom Gana Parishad
Karimganj South	None	Abdul Muqtadir Choudhury		Indian National Congress
Badarpur	None	Abu Saleh Najmuddin		Indian National Congress
Hailakandi	None	Abdul Muhib Majumder		Independent
Katlicherra	None	Gautam Roy		Indian National Congress
Algapur	None	Sahidul Alam Choudhury		Asom Gana Parishad
Silchar	None	Bimalangshu Roy		Bharatiya Janata Party
Sonai	None	Anwar Hussain Laskar		Asom Gana Parishad
Dholai	SC	Girindra Mallik		Indian National Congress
Udharbond	None	Jagannath Sinha		Indian National Congress
Lakhipur	None	Dinesh Prosad Goala		Indian National Congress
Barkhola	None	Misbahul Islam Laskar		Indian National Congress
Katigora	None	Kali Ranjan Deb		Bharatiya Janata Party
Haflong	ST	Samarjit Haflongbar		Autonomous State Demand Committee
Bokajan	ST	Jagat Sing Engti		Autonomous State Demand Committee
Howraghat	ST	Chandra Kanta Terang		Autonomous State Demand Committee
Diphu	ST	Hemsing Tisso		Autonomous State Demand Committee
Baithalangso	ST	Holiram Terang		Autonomous State Demand Committee
Mankachar	None	Aminul Islam		Asom Gana Parishad
Salmara South	None	Wazed Ali Choudhury		Indian National Congress
Dhubri	None	Nazibul Umar		Indian National Congress
Gauripur	None	Banendra Kumar Mushahary		Independent
Golakganj	None	Alauddin Sarkar		Communist Party of India
Bilasipara West	None	Ali Akbar Miah		All India Indira Congress
Bilasipara East	None	Prasanta Kumar Barua		Asom Gana Parishad
Gossaigaon	None	Rajendra Mushahary		Asom Gana Parishad
Kokrajhar West	ST	Hemendra Nath Brahma		Independent
Kokrajhar East	ST	Pramila Rani Brahma		Independent
Sidli	ST	Andrias Hajoary		Independent
Bongaigaon	None	Phani Bhusan Choudhury		Asom Gana Parishad
Bijni	None	Mohini Basumatary		Independent
Abhayapuri North	None	Bhupen Ch. Ray		Asom Gana Parishad
Abhayapuri South	SC	Rabin Banikya		Asom Gana Parishad
Dudhnai	ST	Akan Rabha		Asom Gana Parishad
Goalpara East	None	Jyotish Das		Asom Gana Parishad
Goalpara West	None	Abu Bakkar Siddique Jotdar		Indian National Congress
Jaleswar	None	Afzalur Rahman		Indian National Congress
Sorbhog	None	Hemen Das		Communist Party of India
Bhabanipur	None	Surendra Nath Medhi		Asom Gana Parishad
Patacharkuchi	None	Mohan Das		Asom Gana Parishad
Barpeta	None	Ismail Hussain		All India Indira Congress
Jania	None	Abdur Rouf		United Minorities Front, Assam
Baghbar	None	Sheikh Abdul Hamid		United Minorities Front, Assam
Sarukhetri	None	Nizamuddin Khan		Communist Party of India
Chenga	None	Sukur Ali		Indian National Congress
Boko	SC	Jyoti Prasad Das		Asom Gana Parishad
Chaygaon	None	Kamala Kanta Kalita		Asom Gana Parishad
Palasbari	None	Jatin Mali		Asom Gana Parishad
Jalukbari	None	Bhrigu Kumar Phukan		Asom Gana Parishad
Gauhati East	None	Biraj Kumar Sarma		Asom Gana Parishad
Gauhati West	None	Ramendra Narayan Kalita		Asom Gana Parishad
Hajo	None	Nurul Hussain		Asom Gana Parishad
Kamalpur	None	Maidul Islam Bora		Asom Gana Parishad
Rangiya	None	Thaneswar Boro		Asom Gana Parishad
Tamulpur	None	Derhagra Mochahari		Independent
Nalbari	None	Nagen Sarma		Asom Gana Parishad
Barkhetry	None	Pulakesh Barua		Asom Gana Parishad
Dharmapur	None	Chandra Mohan Patowary		Asom Gana Parishad
Barama	ST	Rekha Rani Das Boro		Asom Gana Parishad
Chapaguri	ST	Jagmohan Basmatary		Independent
Panery	None	Kumud Chandra Das		Independent
Kalaigaon	None	Mahendra Mohan Rai Choudhury		Asom Gana Parishad
Sipajhar	None	Zoii Nath Sarmah		Asom Gana Parishad
Mangaldoi	SC	Hiren Kumar Das		Asom Gana Parishad
Dalgaon	None	Abdul Jabbar		Asom Gana Parishad
Udalguri	ST	Deva Kanta Ramchiary		Independent
Majbat	None	Silvius Condpan		Indian National Congress
Dhekiajuli	None	Joseph Toppo		Asom Gana Parishad
Barchalla	None	Prafulla Goswami		Asom Gana Parishad
Tezpur	None	Brindabon Goswami		Asom Gana Parishad
Rangapara	None	Bhimananda Tanti		Indian National Congress
Sootea	None	Padma Hazarika		Asom Gana Parishad
Biswanath	None	Prabin Hazarika		Asom Gana Parishad
Behali	None	Barnabash Tanti		Indian National Congress
Gohpur	None	Ganesh Kutum		Asom Gana Parishad
Jagiroad	SC	Bubul Das		Asom Gana Parishad
Marigaon	None	Munin Mahanta		Communist Party of India
Laharighat	None	Nazrul Islam		Indian National Congress
Raha	SC	Gahin Ch. Das		Asom Gana Parishad
Dhing	None	Mustafa Shahidul Islam		Indian National Congress
Batadroba	None	Digen Chandra Borah		Asom Gana Parishad
Rupohihat	None	Rashidul Haque		Indian National Congress
Nowgong	None	Prafulla Kumar Mahanta		Asom Gana Parishad
Barhampur	None	Prafulla Kumar Mahanta		Asom Gana Parishad
Samaguri	None	Atul Kumar Sharma		Asom Gana Parishad
Kaliabor	None	Gunin Hazarika		Asom Gana Parishad
Jamunamukh	None	Khalilur Rahman Chowdhury		Asom Gana Parishad
Hojai	None	Ardhendu Kumar Dey		Indian National Congress
Lumding	None	Hazi Abdur Rouf		Asom Gana Parishad
Bokakhat	None	Bhupendra Nath Bhuyan		Indian National Congress
Sarupathar	None	Binod Gowala		Asom Gana Parishad
Golaghat	None	Atul Bora		Asom Gana Parishad
Khumtai	None	Probin Gogoi		Independent
Jorhat	None	Hitendranath Goswami		Asom Gana Parishad
Majuli	ST	Karuna Dutta		Asom Gana Parishad
Titabar	None	Hemanta Kalita		Asom Gana Parishad
Mariani	None	Rupam Kurmi		Indian National Congress
Teok	None	Renupoma Rajkhowa		Asom Gana Parishad
Amguri	None	Pradip Hazarika		Asom Gana Parishad
Mahmara	None	Hiranya Kumar Konwar		Asom Gana Parishad
Sonari	None	Sarat Borkataky		Indian National Congress
Thowra	None	Debananda Konwar		Indian National Congress
Sibsagar	None	Promode Gogoi		Communist Party of India
Bihpuria	None	Kesharam Bora		Asom Gana Parishad
Naoboicha	None	Mani Kr. Subba		Indian National Congress
Lakhimpur	None	Utpal Dutta		Asom Gana Parishad
Dhakuakhana	ST	Bharat Chandra Narah		Indian National Congress
Dhemaji	ST	Dilip Kumar Saikia		Asom Gana Parishad
Jonai	ST	Pradan Boruah		Asom Gana Parishad
Moran	None	Joy Chandra Nagbanshi		Indian National Congress
Dibrugarh	None	Kalyan Kumar Gogoi		Indian National Congress
Lahowal	None	Prithibi Majhi		Indian National Congress
Duliajan	None	Amiya Gogoi		Indian National Congress
Tingkhong	None	Atuwa Munda		Indian National Congress
Naharkatia	None	Pranati Phukan		Indian National Congress
Chabua	None	Bhaben Baruah		Asom Gana Parishad
Tinsukia	None	Sudhangshu Coomer De Sirkar		Indian National Congress
Digboi	None	Rameswar Dhanowar		Indian National Congress
Doom Dooma	None	Dileswar Tanti		Indian National Congress
Sadiya	None	Jogdish Bhuyan		Asom Gana Parishad

Aftermath

On 6 May 1996, the Minister for Rural Development, and candidate for the Golaghat Assembly constituency, Nagen Neog was killed, by suspected terrorists. Along with him, 8 other people, including his driver, and 5 bodyguards, also died.^[7]

Bye-elections

Date	Constituency	Winner	Party
11 November 1996	Dispur	Atul Bora[8]		Asom Gana Parishad
	Nowgong[a]	Girindra Kumar Baruah[9]
	Dergaon	Sushila Hazarika[10]
	Nazira	Hemprove Saikia[11]		Indian National Congress
	Margherita	Tarun Gogoi[12]

1. Prafulla Kumar Mahanta resigned from this seat since he had also won the seat of Barhampur

See also

• List of constituencies of the Assam Legislative Assembly
• 1996 elections in India