Elections to the Assam Legislative Assembly were held in April 1996 to elect members of 122 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. The number of constituencies was set as 126, by the recommendation of the Delimitation Commission of India, 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 In 1991, the Indian Army was tasked with executing Operation Rhino against the United Liberation Front of Assam.https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/special-report/story/19911015-various-army-operations-launched-against-ulfa-814916-1991-10-14 In 1993, the six-year agitation by the All Bodo Students' Union in Assam demanding a separate state within India ended with a peace accord that established an autonomous district council.George, Sudhir Jacob. “The Bodo Movement in Assam: Unrest to Accord.” Asian Survey, vol. 34, no. 10, 1994. pp. 878–92. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/2644967. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.

The Chief Minister of Assam, Hiteswar Saikia, died in Delhi, on 22 April 1996, only 5 days before the election. Bhumidhar Barman was sworn in as interim chief-minister, but as the Indian National Congress failed to form the government after the elections, his tenure lasted 22 days. The party's defeat was attributed to Saikia's death, which unravelled the electoral coalition he had built up in opposition to the resurgent Asom Gana Parishad.https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/cover-story/story/19960531-fragile-victory-753113-1996-05-30https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/cover-story/story/19960531-elections-1996-agp-bounces-back-to-defeat-a-weak-congress-in-assam-832980-1996-05-30https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/cover-story/story/19960430-elections-1996-assam-seems-headed-for-a-hung-assembly-835101-1996-04-29

In 1991, former Home Minister, Bhrigu Kumar Phukan, formed the Natun Asom Gana Parishad (NAGP) in opposition to the policies of Asom Gana Parishad leader, Prafulla Kumar Mahanta. Phukan merged the NAGP back with the AGP before the 1996 elections. The AGP formed also a five-party pre-poll electoral alliance before the elections with the CPI, the CPI(M), the ASDC and the UMFA.

Parties and alliances

colspan="6" Party Flag Symbol Leader Seats Hiteswar Saikia 122

colspan="6" AGP-led Alliance Party Flag Symbol Leader Seats Prafulla Kumar Mahanta 95 10 9 Jayanta Rongpi 5 Kalipada Sen 3 Total122

Result

Elected members ConstituencyReserved for(SC/ST/None)MemberParty Ratabari SC Sambhusing Mallah Patharkandi None Sukhendu Shekhar Dutta Karimganj North None Sirajul Haque Choudhury Karimganj South None Abdul Muqtadir Choudhury Badarpur None Abu Saleh Najmuddin Hailakandi None Abdul Muhib Majumder Katlicherra None Gautam Roy Algapur None Sahidul Alam Choudhury Silchar None Bimalangshu Roy Sonai None Anwar Hussain Laskar Dholai SC Girindra Mallik Udharbond None Jagannath Sinha Lakhipur None Dinesh Prosad Goala Barkhola None Misbahul Islam Laskar Katigora None Kali Ranjan Deb Haflong ST Samarjit Haflongbar Bokajan ST Jagat Sing Engti Howraghat ST Chandra Kanta Terang Diphu ST Hemsing Tisso Baithalangso ST Holiram Terang Mankachar None Aminul Islam Salmara South None Wazed Ali Choudhury Dhubri None Nazibul Umar Gauripur None Banendra Kumar Mushahary Golakganj None Alauddin Sarkar Bilasipara West None Ali Akbar Miah Bilasipara East None Prasanta Kumar Barua Gossaigaon None Rajendra Mushahary Kokrajhar West ST Hemendra Nath Brahma Kokrajhar East ST Pramila Rani Brahma Sidli ST Andrias Hajoary Bongaigaon None Phani Bhusan Choudhury Bijni None Mohini Basumatary Abhayapuri North None Bhupen Ch. Ray Abhayapuri South SC Rabin Banikya Dudhnai ST Akan Rabha Goalpara East None Jyotish Das Goalpara West None Abu Bakkar Siddique Jotdar Jaleswar None Afzalur Rahman Sorbhog None Hemen Das Bhabanipur None Surendra Nath Medhi Patacharkuchi None Mohan Das Barpeta None Ismail Hussain Jania None Abdur Rouf Baghbar None Sheikh Abdul Hamid Sarukhetri None Nizamuddin Khan Chenga None Sukur Ali Boko SC Jyoti Prasad Das Chaygaon None Kamala Kanta Kalita Palasbari None Jatin Mali Jalukbari None Bhrigu Kumar Phukan Gauhati East None Biraj Kumar Sarma Gauhati West None Ramendra Narayan Kalita Hajo None Nurul Hussain Kamalpur None Maidul Islam Bora Rangiya None Thaneswar Boro Tamulpur None Derhagra Mochahari Nalbari None Nagen Sarma Barkhetry None Pulakesh Barua Dharmapur None Chandra Mohan Patowary Barama ST Rekha Rani Das Boro Chapaguri ST Jagmohan Basmatary Panery None Kumud Chandra Das Kalaigaon None Mahendra Mohan Rai Choudhury Sipajhar None Zoii Nath Sarmah Mangaldoi SC Hiren Kumar Das Dalgaon None Abdul Jabbar Udalguri ST Deva Kanta Ramchiary Majbat None Silvius Condpan Dhekiajuli None Joseph Toppo Barchalla None Prafulla Goswami Tezpur None Brindabon Goswami Rangapara None Bhimananda Tanti Sootea None Padma Hazarika Biswanath None Prabin Hazarika Behali None Barnabash Tanti Gohpur None Ganesh Kutum Jagiroad SC Bubul Das Marigaon None Munin Mahanta Laharighat None Nazrul Islam Raha SC Gahin Ch. Das Dhing None Mustafa Shahidul Islam Batadroba None Digen Chandra Borah Rupohihat None Rashidul Haque Nowgong None Prafulla Kumar Mahanta Barhampur None Prafulla Kumar Mahanta Samaguri None Atul Kumar Sharma Kaliabor None Gunin Hazarika Jamunamukh None Khalilur Rahman Chowdhury Hojai None Ardhendu Kumar Dey Lumding None Hazi Abdur Rouf Bokakhat None Bhupendra Nath Bhuyan Sarupathar None Binod Gowala Golaghat None Atul Bora Khumtai None Probin Gogoi Jorhat None Hitendranath Goswami Majuli ST Karuna Dutta Titabar None Hemanta Kalita Mariani None Rupam Kurmi Teok None Renupoma Rajkhowa Amguri None Pradip Hazarika Mahmara None Hiranya Kumar Konwar Sonari None Sarat Borkataky Thowra None Debananda Konwar Sibsagar None Promode Gogoi Bihpuria None Kesharam Bora Naoboicha None Mani Kr. Subba Lakhimpur None Utpal Dutta Dhakuakhana ST Bharat Chandra Narah Dhemaji ST Dilip Kumar Saikia Jonai ST Pradan Boruah Moran None Joy Chandra Nagbanshi Dibrugarh None Kalyan Kumar Gogoi Lahowal None Prithibi Majhi Duliajan None Amiya Gogoi Tingkhong None Atuwa Munda Naharkatia None Pranati Phukan Chabua None Bhaben Baruah Tinsukia None Sudhangshu Coomer De Sirkar Digboi None Rameswar Dhanowar Doom Dooma None Dileswar Tanti Sadiya None Jogdish Bhuyan

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.

Bye-elections DateConstituencyWinnerParty11 November 1996Dispur Atul Bora Nowgong Girindra Kumar Baruah Dergaon Sushila Hazarika Nazira Hemprove Saikia Margherita Tarun Gogoi

See also List of constituencies of the Assam Legislative Assembly 1996 elections in India

References