The Delimitation Commission drastically rejigged the electoral map of the Bongaigaon district. Earlier, the district had three Assembly constituencies, Bongaigaon, Abhayapuri North and Abhayapuri South, the latter being a Scheduled Caste-reserved seat. While Bongaigaon continued to exist, Abhayapuri North and South were abolished and replaced with Abhayapuri and Srijangram with altered boundaries and voter demography. The Congress-led opposition cried foul and accused the Election Commission of indulging in gerrymandering to specifically concentrate Muslims in Srijangram and liberate the other two to benefit the ruling BJP and its allies.
Abhayapuri North had 59 per cent Muslim voters, while Abhayapuri South had 55.50 per cent Muslim voters, though it was an SC-reserved seat where Scheduled Castes accounted for mere 13.34 per cent of the electorate. Bongaigaon had 16.90 per cent Muslim voters. These figures are bound to have changed now, with Muslim-majority villages and polling booths attached to Srijangram, and villages and polling booths with non-Muslim majorities shifted to Abhayapuri constituency.
Both these constituencies were established in 1978 and witnessed nine Assembly elections each. The AGP won four times in Abhayapuri North, while Congress thrice, and Independents held the seat twice. In Abhayapuri South, Congress won four times, AGP twice, and the Janata Party, an Independent and the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) once each.
The Congress party and the AIUDF represented the now dissolved North and the South seats respectively in the state Assembly.
Being a new constituency, Abhayapuri has no Assembly election history. The small window to gauge the public mood came in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. The AGP, a constituent of the BJP-led NDA, led Congress by 55,109 votes, with Phani Bhushan Choudhury of the AGP polling 98,791 votes while Congress’s Deep Bayan received 43,682 votes. A broad indication was visible that the delimitation did indeed benefit the state’s ruling alliance.
Abhayapuri had 182,376 eligible voters on its final roll for the 2026 Assembly elections, up from 179,820 voters it had in 2024. The voter turnout was robust at 87.04 per cent in 2024.
Demographics, based on available data, largely from the 2011 Census proportions adjusted for the area and 2023 delimitation changes, indicate that the Muslim presence has been considerably diluted compared to the earlier Abhayapuri North and South segments. The constituency now features a more balanced mix of Assamese-speaking Hindus, Bengali groups, and smaller Scheduled Castes and Tribes, contributing to its mixed rural character.
The Abhayapuri constituency covers parts of the Bongaigaon district in Lower Assam with flat alluvial plains of the Brahmaputra Valley and some low-lying wetlands. The terrain supports paddy farming, jute cultivation, and vegetable growing, but remains prone to seasonal flooding from rivers like the Brahmaputra, Aie, and Manas tributaries. Livelihoods in Abhayapuri depend mainly on cultivation, small trade, fishing in wetlands, and agriculture-related activities. Infrastructure includes road connectivity via National Highway 27 linking to Guwahati and beyond, rail access at nearby Abhayapuri or Bongaigaon stations, and basic amenities with ongoing developments in rural roads and flood protection. The area also has patches of reserved forests with limited wildlife presence, including deer, wild boar, and various bird species.
The nearest major town is Bongaigaon, the district headquarters, about 20-25 km away. Other nearby towns include Goalpara to the west, roughly 40-45 km away, and Bilasipara farther west. The state capital, Dispur/Guwahati, lies around 160-180 km east.
Abhayapuri is like a new wine in an old bottle – familiar brand, yet untasted. If the voting trend in this segment during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections is any indicator, the dominance of the Muslim voters has been diluted considerably, opening up the constituency, as the AGP led with a big margin. The battle lines have been drawn, and the main contenders for this seat are Bhupen Ray of the BJP on behalf of the NDA and Pradip Kumar Sarkar of Congress on behalf of the opposition alliance. The voting trend and the outcome in the 2026 Assembly elections would determine if the delimitation actually benefitted the ruling alliance and set the tone for future elections.
(Ajay Jha)
