Ahead of the Assam Assembly elections, voters of Chhattisgarh origin working in tea gardens have emerged as a central focus of political strategy. The Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress have intensified preparations by assigning senior leaders from Chhattisgarh to mobilise this voter base.
With the Assam Assembly Election 2026 approaching, both parties have begun targeted outreach to Chhattisgarhi-origin tea garden workers, a community considered influential across several constituencies. The BJP has assigned Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister Arun Sao responsibility for nine Assembly seats, while the Congress has appointed former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel as senior observer. Both parties are seeking electoral advantage by consolidating support from this group, whose voting preferences are seen as decisive in multiple constituencies.
Millions of tea garden workers in Assam migrated from Chhattisgarh decades ago and are now established voters. In several Assembly segments, their numerical strength is such that electoral outcomes depend significantly on their support.
As a result, the Chhattisgarhi voter base has been placed high on the agendas of both the BJP and the Congress in this election. Party assessments indicate that securing the confidence of this group could directly influence results in several seats.
The BJP has entrusted Arun Sao with organisational responsibility for nine Assembly constituencies where voters of Chhattisgarh origin are considered influential. He is expected to undertake sustained visits, hold organisational meetings, and engage with party workers.
The party leadership has cited Arun Sao’s standing as a prominent OBC leader and an experienced strategist as factors expected to strengthen grassroots outreach. The BJP is focusing on direct engagement with Chhattisgarhi workers in an effort to shape electoral alignments in its favour.
The Congress has also stepped up its Assam election campaign. The party has appointed Bhupesh Baghel as senior observer, and he has already undertaken visits to Assam to gather ground-level feedback. Alongside him, Vikas Upadhyay has been given charge of 50 Assembly seats.
The Congress is seeking to leverage Bhupesh Baghel’s Chhattisgarhi identity and his image associated with farmers and workers as part of its electoral strategy. The party expects that the deployment of senior leaders will help deliver a focused message in tea garden regions.
