"Elections might be very competitive": Former Indian footballer Bhaichung Bhutia on Assam Assembly polls

Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], March 24 (ANI): Former Indian footballer Bhaichung Bhutia on Monday described the upcoming Assam Assembly elections as likely to be "very competitive," citing the significant work done by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and his predecessor, former CM Sarbananda Sonowal, in the state.
Speaking to ANI, Bhutia said, "As per whatever I know, the elections might be very competitive. Himanta Biswa Sarma did a lot of work in the state, and even before that, former CM Sarbananda Sonowal also did a lot."

Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday released the second list of two candidates for the 2026 Assam Assembly elections.
The BJP has fielded Jiban Gogoi from Sissirborgaon and Sushri Krishna Saha from the Dalgaon seat. This takes the BJP's total tally of candidates to 90, after the party released the first list of 88 candidates on March 19.
In the first list, the BJP fielded both former Congress prominent leaders, Pradyut Bordoloi and Bhupen Kumar Borah. BJP has fielded Pradyut Bordoloi from Dispur after he ended his life-long association with Congress and joined the party in the presence of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
Former Congress state president, Bhupen Kumar Borah, who jumped ship weeks before, will contest from Bihpuria, a seat which he lost to BJP candidates in the last two elections.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma is set to contest from his traditional Jalukbari seat.
Initially, CM Sarma said that the party will be contesting on 89 seats. After the release of the first list, he said, "The BJP Central Parliamentary Board announced candidates for 88 out of 89 constituencies. The candidate for the Sissiborgaon seat will be announced shortly."
The BJP is contesting the elections with Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and Bodoland People's Front (BPF).
Meanwhile, Congress is contesting 100 out of 126 Assembly seats and has formed an alliance with Assam Jatiya Parishad, Raijor Dal, CPI(M), CPI(ML), and the All Party Hill Leaders Conference. Raijor Dal will contest 11 seats. Polling for all constituencies is scheduled for April 9, with counting on May 4.
The BJP government, led by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, will look to secure a third consecutive term, while the Congress aims to defeat the ruling party to return to power.
In the 2021 Assembly elections, the NDA, comprising the BJP, AGP and United People's Party Liberal (UPPL), won 75 seats, with the BJP alone winning 60 seats. The Congress and AIUDF had formed a grand alliance along with the BPF and the communist parties, but the alliance performed poorly with just 16 seats out of 126.
Voter turnout was as high as 86.2 per cent with over 2. 2 crore registered voters in 2021. (ANI)