Himanta Biswa Sarma’s swearing-in for a second term as chief minister underlines a political order built in his own image in Assam. If his first tenure was spent consolidating the BJP’s dominance in the state, the 2026 victory has been shaped not merely by the party’s organisational machinery or Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s national appeal, but by Sarma’s own political imprimatur: An aggressive mix of Assamese sub-nationalism, Hindu majoritarianism and welfare measures. The BJP-led alliance won 102 seats in the 126-member Assembly, with the BJP alone winning 82 seats — its biggest mandate in the state — underscoring the resonance of his jati, mati, bheti (community, land, foundation) narrative. In a state of........

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