The Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday appointed national vice president Baijayant Jay Panda as its election incharge for the 2026 Assam assembly polls. Jammu and Kashmir MLA Sunil Kumar Sharma and former union minister Darshana Ben Jardosh will serve as co-incharges.
The appointment follows Panda’s pivotal role in BJP’s landslide victory in the 2024 Delhi assembly elections, where the party captured 48 of 70 seats to reclaim power after 27 years.
Proven Track Record in Assam
The 61-year-old five-time Odisha MP is no stranger to Assam’s political landscape. As BJP’s incharge during the 2021 assembly elections, Panda helped the party retain power for a second consecutive term, securing 60 seats in the 126-member house. His approach of regularly engaging with grassroots workers and building organizational momentum proved effective.
The Delhi Turnaround
Panda’s stock rose considerably after engineering BJP’s Delhi triumph. Operating largely behind the scenes, he crafted a campaign that systematically highlighted the Aam Aadmi Party’s governance failures. Following the victory, Panda credited Prime Minister Modi’s development agenda for swaying voters.
Notably, Panda had also overseen BJP’s 2020 Delhi campaign, which yielded just eight seats, making the 2024 reversal all the more significant.
Mixed Results Elsewhere
His tenure as Uttar Pradesh incharge for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls delivered a setback, with the NDA winning only 33 of 80 seats against Samajwadi Party’s 37. Analysts attributed the outcome to Akhilesh Yadav’s successful PDA mobilization strategy.
From BJD to BJP
A Michigan Technological University graduate, Panda joined BJP in 2019 after BJD expelled him for alleged anti-party activities. He has since risen rapidly within the saffron party’s hierarchy.