1996 Assam Legislative Assembly election

27 April 1996

122 seats in the Assam Legislative Assembly
62 seats needed for a majority
Registered12,119,125
Turnout78.92%
  Majority party Minority party
 
Leader Prafulla Kumar Mahanta Hiteswar Saikia
Party AGP INC
Seats won 59 34
Seat change Increase 40 Decrease 32
Popular vote 29.70% 30.56%

CM before election

Bhumidhar Barman
INC

Elected CM

Prafulla Kumar Mahanta
AGP

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.

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

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Indian National Congress2,778,62730.5634–32
Asom Gana Parishad2,700,93429.7059+40
Bharatiya Janata Party946,23610.414–6
All India Indira Congress (Tiwari)337,6683.712New
Autonomous State Demand Committee179,8771.985+1
Communist Party of India177,7501.953–1
Communist Party of India (Marxist)176,7211.9420
United Minorities Front, Assam105,4081.162New
Others105,4711.1600
Independents1,584,10917.4211–4
Total9,092,801100.00122–4
Valid votes9,092,80195.07
Invalid/blank votes471,6324.93
Total votes9,564,433100.00
Registered voters/turnout12,119,12578.92
Source: ECI[6]

Elected members

Constituency Reserved for
(SC/ST/None)
Member Party
RatabariSCSambhusing Mallah Bharatiya Janata Party
PatharkandiNoneSukhendu Shekhar Dutta Bharatiya Janata Party
Karimganj NorthNoneSirajul Haque Choudhury Asom Gana Parishad
Karimganj SouthNoneAbdul Muqtadir Choudhury Indian National Congress
BadarpurNoneAbu Saleh Najmuddin Indian National Congress
HailakandiNoneAbdul Muhib Majumder Independent
KatlicherraNoneGautam Roy Indian National Congress
AlgapurNoneSahidul Alam Choudhury Asom Gana Parishad
SilcharNoneBimalangshu Roy Bharatiya Janata Party
SonaiNoneAnwar Hussain Laskar Asom Gana Parishad
DholaiSCGirindra Mallik Indian National Congress
UdharbondNoneJagannath Sinha Indian National Congress
LakhipurNoneDinesh Prosad Goala Indian National Congress
BarkholaNoneMisbahul Islam Laskar Indian National Congress
KatigoraNoneKali Ranjan Deb Bharatiya Janata Party
HaflongSTSamarjit Haflongbar Autonomous State Demand Committee
BokajanSTJagat Sing Engti Autonomous State Demand Committee
HowraghatSTChandra Kanta Terang Autonomous State Demand Committee
DiphuSTHemsing Tisso Autonomous State Demand Committee
BaithalangsoSTHoliram Terang Autonomous State Demand Committee
MankacharNoneAminul Islam Asom Gana Parishad
Salmara SouthNoneWazed Ali Choudhury Indian National Congress
DhubriNoneNazibul Umar Indian National Congress
GauripurNoneBanendra Kumar Mushahary Independent
GolakganjNoneAlauddin Sarkar Communist Party of India
Bilasipara WestNoneAli Akbar Miah All India Indira Congress
Bilasipara EastNonePrasanta Kumar Barua Asom Gana Parishad
GossaigaonNoneRajendra Mushahary Asom Gana Parishad
Kokrajhar WestSTHemendra Nath Brahma Independent
Kokrajhar EastSTPramila Rani Brahma Independent
SidliSTAndrias Hajoary Independent
BongaigaonNonePhani Bhusan Choudhury Asom Gana Parishad
BijniNoneMohini Basumatary Independent
Abhayapuri NorthNoneBhupen Ch. Ray Asom Gana Parishad
Abhayapuri SouthSCRabin Banikya Asom Gana Parishad
DudhnaiSTAkan Rabha Asom Gana Parishad
Goalpara EastNoneJyotish Das Asom Gana Parishad
Goalpara WestNoneAbu Bakkar Siddique Jotdar Indian National Congress
JaleswarNoneAfzalur Rahman Indian National Congress
SorbhogNoneHemen Das Communist Party of India
BhabanipurNoneSurendra Nath Medhi Asom Gana Parishad
PatacharkuchiNoneMohan Das Asom Gana Parishad
BarpetaNoneIsmail Hussain All India Indira Congress
JaniaNoneAbdur Rouf United Minorities Front, Assam
BaghbarNoneSheikh Abdul Hamid United Minorities Front, Assam
SarukhetriNoneNizamuddin Khan Communist Party of India
ChengaNoneSukur Ali Indian National Congress
BokoSCJyoti Prasad Das Asom Gana Parishad
ChaygaonNoneKamala Kanta Kalita Asom Gana Parishad
PalasbariNoneJatin Mali Asom Gana Parishad
JalukbariNoneBhrigu Kumar Phukan Asom Gana Parishad
Gauhati EastNoneBiraj Kumar Sarma Asom Gana Parishad
Gauhati WestNoneRamendra Narayan Kalita Asom Gana Parishad
HajoNoneNurul Hussain Asom Gana Parishad
KamalpurNoneMaidul Islam Bora Asom Gana Parishad
RangiyaNoneThaneswar Boro Asom Gana Parishad
TamulpurNoneDerhagra Mochahari Independent
NalbariNoneNagen Sarma Asom Gana Parishad
BarkhetryNonePulakesh Barua Asom Gana Parishad
DharmapurNoneChandra Mohan Patowary Asom Gana Parishad
BaramaSTRekha Rani Das Boro Asom Gana Parishad
ChapaguriSTJagmohan Basmatary Independent
PaneryNoneKumud Chandra Das Independent
KalaigaonNoneMahendra Mohan Rai Choudhury Asom Gana Parishad
SipajharNoneZoii Nath Sarmah Asom Gana Parishad
MangaldoiSCHiren Kumar Das Asom Gana Parishad
DalgaonNoneAbdul Jabbar Asom Gana Parishad
UdalguriSTDeva Kanta Ramchiary Independent
MajbatNoneSilvius Condpan Indian National Congress
DhekiajuliNoneJoseph Toppo Asom Gana Parishad
BarchallaNonePrafulla Goswami Asom Gana Parishad
TezpurNoneBrindabon Goswami Asom Gana Parishad
RangaparaNoneBhimananda Tanti Indian National Congress
SooteaNonePadma Hazarika Asom Gana Parishad
BiswanathNonePrabin Hazarika Asom Gana Parishad
BehaliNoneBarnabash Tanti Indian National Congress
GohpurNoneGanesh Kutum Asom Gana Parishad
JagiroadSCBubul Das Asom Gana Parishad
MarigaonNoneMunin Mahanta Communist Party of India
LaharighatNoneNazrul Islam Indian National Congress
RahaSCGahin Ch. Das Asom Gana Parishad
DhingNoneMustafa Shahidul Islam Indian National Congress
BatadrobaNoneDigen Chandra Borah Asom Gana Parishad
RupohihatNoneRashidul Haque Indian National Congress
NowgongNonePrafulla Kumar Mahanta Asom Gana Parishad
BarhampurNonePrafulla Kumar Mahanta Asom Gana Parishad
SamaguriNoneAtul Kumar Sharma Asom Gana Parishad
KaliaborNoneGunin Hazarika Asom Gana Parishad
JamunamukhNoneKhalilur Rahman Chowdhury Asom Gana Parishad
HojaiNoneArdhendu Kumar Dey Indian National Congress
LumdingNoneHazi Abdur Rouf Asom Gana Parishad
BokakhatNoneBhupendra Nath Bhuyan Indian National Congress
SarupatharNoneBinod Gowala Asom Gana Parishad
GolaghatNoneAtul Bora Asom Gana Parishad
KhumtaiNoneProbin Gogoi Independent
JorhatNoneHitendranath Goswami Asom Gana Parishad
MajuliSTKaruna Dutta Asom Gana Parishad
TitabarNoneHemanta Kalita Asom Gana Parishad
MarianiNoneRupam Kurmi Indian National Congress
TeokNoneRenupoma Rajkhowa Asom Gana Parishad
AmguriNonePradip Hazarika Asom Gana Parishad
MahmaraNoneHiranya Kumar Konwar Asom Gana Parishad
SonariNoneSarat Borkataky Indian National Congress
ThowraNoneDebananda Konwar Indian National Congress
SibsagarNonePromode Gogoi Communist Party of India
BihpuriaNoneKesharam Bora Asom Gana Parishad
NaoboichaNoneMani Kr. Subba Indian National Congress
LakhimpurNoneUtpal Dutta Asom Gana Parishad
DhakuakhanaSTBharat Chandra Narah Indian National Congress
DhemajiSTDilip Kumar Saikia Asom Gana Parishad
JonaiSTPradan Boruah Asom Gana Parishad
MoranNoneJoy Chandra Nagbanshi Indian National Congress
DibrugarhNoneKalyan Kumar Gogoi Indian National Congress
LahowalNonePrithibi Majhi Indian National Congress
DuliajanNoneAmiya Gogoi Indian National Congress
TingkhongNoneAtuwa Munda Indian National Congress
NaharkatiaNonePranati Phukan Indian National Congress
ChabuaNoneBhaben Baruah Asom Gana Parishad
TinsukiaNoneSudhangshu Coomer De Sirkar Indian National Congress
DigboiNoneRameswar Dhanowar Indian National Congress
Doom DoomaNoneDileswar Tanti Indian National Congress
SadiyaNoneJogdish 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[lower-alpha 1] 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

References

  1. "Former CM Prafulla Mahanta not to contest Assam polls". The Shillong Times. 9 March 2021. Retrieved 14 April 2022. Mahanta has represented the seat for as many as seven terms from 1985, having served as chief minister for two terms from 1985-90 and 1996-2001, in between.
  2. "Assam Legislative Assembly - Chief Ministers since 1937". Assam Legislative Assembly. Archived from the original on 13 May 2006. Retrieved 13 May 2006.
  3. "DPACO (1976) - Archive Delimitation Orders". Election Commission of India. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
  4. Chandra Nath Boruah (2009). Assamese Response to Regionalism: A Study Based on Electoral Politics. Mittal Publications. p. 64. ISBN 9788183242813. Nevertheless, the AGP's coming back to the Janta Bhawan, Dispur was also helped partially by the sudden demise of chief Minister Hiteshwar Saikia on 22nd April 1996 in New Delhi which shocked the party cadres of the Congress(I).
  5. Meenu Roy (1996). India Votes, Elections 1996: A Critical Analysis. Deep & Deep Publications. p. 102. ISBN 9788171009008. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
  6. "Statistical Report on General Election, 1996 to the Legislative Assembly of Assam". Election Commission of India. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
  7. "Rebels kill Assam leader in ambush". New Straits Times. Reuters. 8 May 1996. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
  8. "BYE - ELECTION, 1996 - Legislative Assembly of Assam - Assembly constituency - 52 Dispur". Election Commission of India. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
  9. "BYE - ELECTION, 1996 - Legislative Assembly of Assam - Assembly constituency - 86 Nagaon". Election Commission of India. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
  10. "BYE - ELECTION, 1996 - Legislative Assembly of Assam - Assembly constituency - 97 Dergaon (SC)". Election Commission of India. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
  11. "BYE - ELECTION, 1996 - Legislative Assembly of Assam - Assembly constituency - 104 - Nazira". Election Commission of India. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
  12. "BYE - ELECTION, 1996 - Legislative Assembly of Assam - Assembly constituency - 124 Margherita". Election Commission of India. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
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