BJP Nominates Candidates for Upcoming Rajya Sabha Elections in Assam

The BJP has nominated Jogen Mohan and Terash Gowalla for two of the three vacant Rajya Sabha seats from Assam. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma confirmed that nominations will be filed on March 5. Speculation surrounds a potential third candidate from the UPPL, with discussions ongoing within the party. The elections are set for March 16, following the retirement of three current members. This move could significantly impact the political landscape in Assam, especially regarding the 125th Constitutional Amendment Bill aimed at enhancing the powers of autonomous councils.

By Narendra Chaudhary Mar 3, 2026, 18:04 IST

BJP's Candidate Selection for Rajya Sabha

Guwahati, March 3: The Central Election Committee of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has officially endorsed Jogen Mohan and Terash Gowalla as candidates from Assam for two of the three available seats in the forthcoming biennial Rajya Sabha elections.

On Tuesday, Assam's Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced that party MLAs are invited to Guwahati to formally submit their nomination papers on Wednesday.

“We will submit their nominations on March 5,” he stated while laying the foundation stone for the Sati Sadhani Samannay Khetra in Golaghat.

Gowalla serves as the MLA for Duliajan, while Mohan, representing Mahmora, is a Cabinet Minister overseeing Public Works, Hills Areas, Cooperation, and Indigenous and Tribal Faith & Culture.

With three Rajya Sabha seats from Assam becoming vacant, there is speculation that the BJP's ally, the United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL), may nominate a candidate for the third seat.

The Chief Minister clarified that the BJP will neither contest nor oppose a candidate from the UPPL for this seat.

“They have indicated a possibility of filing nominations, but no final decision has been communicated yet. The BJP lacks the necessary numbers to secure the third seat, so we are open to Pramod Boro contesting it,” Sarma remarked.

UPPL leader Pramod Boro mentioned that discussions are ongoing within the party.

“Despite having two members in the Rajya Sabha, our workers desire another MP. We have not finalized our decision yet, and discussions are still in progress. We will announce our candidate tomorrow,” Boro stated.

He emphasized that gaining an additional MP would bolster the party's efforts for the long-awaited 125th Constitutional Amendment Bill, aimed at enhancing the powers of autonomous councils.

“If passed, the number of constituencies in the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) will rise from 40 to 60. It will also facilitate direct financial transfers from the Centre to the council, bypassing the state government,” he explained.

Boro also noted that neither the UPPL nor the Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) has ever succeeded in sending three MPs to Parliament.

“It would be historic for a smaller party like UPPL to achieve this. We will seek support from BJP, AGP, Congress, AIUDF, and even BPF,” he added.

In its initial list of nine candidates for the Rajya Sabha elections, the BJP has nominated Nitin Nabin and Shivesh Kumar from Bihar, Laxmi Verma from Chhattisgarh, Sanjay Bhatia from Haryana, Manmohan Samal and Sujeet Kumar from Odisha, and Rahul Sinha from West Bengal.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has announced that biennial elections will be conducted for 37 Rajya Sabha seats across ten states, with the last date for filing nominations set for March 5.

Voting is scheduled for March 16, from 9 am to 4 pm, with the counting of votes to take place at 5 pm on the same day.

The three Rajya Sabha members from Assam who are set to retire next month include Ajit Kumar Bhuyan (Independent), Bhubaneswar Kalita (BJP), and Sarbananda Sonowal (BJP), creating openings for the upcoming elections.