Karbi Anglong: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Assam has once again demonstrated its insensitivity and disconnect from grassroots leaders in the tribal heartland of Karbi Anglong and West Karbi Anglong by releasing its official candidate list for the upcoming assembly elections. The much-anticipated announcement from the central office has sparked widespread discontent, internal rebellion, and fears of electoral disaster in the hills autonomous district. In a move that has stunned many, the party has denied tickets to several prominent and experienced figures, including two-term MLA and Deputy Speaker of the Assam Legislative Assembly, Dr. Numal Momin (108-Bokajan LAC), Dorsing Ronghang (109-Howraghat LAC), veteran Bidyasing Engleng (100-Diphu LAC), Rupsing Teron (Baithalangso LAC), and former cabinet minister Nandita Gorlosa (113-Haflong LAC). These leaders, who have long served the party and the community with dedication, have been sidelined without apparent justification, raising serious questions about the BJP’s commitment to merit, loyalty, and genuine representation.
Instead, the party has fielded a mix of relatively lesser-known or newly elevated names in the Karbi Anglong seats: Surjya Rongphar (Executive Member, KAAC) for 108-Bokajan, Lunsing Teron (Executive Member, KAAC) for 109-Howraghat, Smt. Niso Terangpi (VDC Chairman) for 100-Diphu, Tuliram Ronghang (KAAC Chief Executive Member) for 111-Rongkhang, Dr. Habe Teron (government employee) for 112-Amri, and Smt. Rupali Langthasa (MAC) for 113-Haflong.
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This arbitrary selection has ignited speculation of deep internal rifts. Sources indicate that the denied leaders and their supporters who command significant voter bases are now viewing the official BJP candidates as rivals. There are strong apprehensions of massive internal sabotage, a tactic all too common in Indian politics, where disgruntled elements secretly work to undermine their own party’s nominees to aid opponents. Such treachery could prove catastrophic for the BJP in these sensitive constituencies.
Beyond internal discord, the BJP’s prospects in at least four key seats Bokajan, Howraghat, Diphu, and Amri face multiple formidable challenges. Issues like religious polarisation, unresolved PGR/VGR land problems, ongoing border disputes with Nagaland and Meghalaya, bureaucratic hurdles in obtaining land pattas and trading licences for non-tribals, and recent evictions (Bakolia) have alienated voters. These longstanding grievances, which the BJP government has failed to adequately address despite years in power, continue to fuel resentment. Crucially, non-tribal voters remain a deciding factor in most of these constituencies. With tribal areas likely to see a major vote share swing toward the Congress-APHLC (All Party Hills Leaders Conference) alliance, non-tribals could tip the scales against the BJP, turning these seats into potential losses. The announcement has also thrown the future leadership of the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) into uncertainty, as Tuliram Ronghang, the current CEM, is now contesting as an MLA from Rongkhang LAC, leaving questions about who will steer the council amid growing instability.
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While Rupali Langthasa may have a relatively comfortable path in Haflong, the overall picture in Karbi Anglong paints a grim scenario for the BJP: a combination of betrayed loyalists, brewing sabotage, unresolved local crises, and shifting alliances that could severely erode the party’s hold in this crucial tribal belt. This candidate selection reeks of high-handed central interference, prioritising loyalty tests over local strength, and risks handing the opposition a golden opportunity in 2026.
