<p>Guwahati: "Hat-Trick with a century [sic]," Himanta Biswa Sarma posted on X on Monday evening as the BJP and its allies won the Assam Assembly elections for the third straight term, this time with a record 100-plus seats for the extended alliance in the 126-member House. </p>.<p>The Assam CM had predicted this months in advance. As he geared up for the polls, he made two more predictions: One was that the Opposition Congress would win only 20-22 Muslim-majority seats, and two, the Badruddin Ajmal-led AIUDF would be "wiped out" from Assam politics.</p>.<p>The verdict on Monday was an almost exact match: The Congress won 18 Muslim-majority seats and one more under Gaurav Gogoi's leadership. It was the party's worst performance in the state in the past 25 years. The AIUDF, too, put up its worst performance, winning just two seats. </p>.Assam Assembly Elections 2026 | 'Anti-infiltrator' stand, development helps BJP, allies register record victory .<p>Meanwhile, the BJP's tally increased from 60 in 2021 to 82 this time, while its regional allies — the Asom Gana Parishad and the Bodoland People's Front — also bettered their numbers, winning 10 seats each. </p>.<p>The verdict not only meant that Assam was among the few states where the saffron party retained power for the third straight term (like Gujarat), but also served as a stamp of approval on Sarma as a leader and a poll strategist.</p>.<p>Many considered the elections a test of Sarma's leadership, given that it was his first electoral battle as chief minister.</p>.<p>"We sincerely believed that 100+ seats for the NDA was possible, and people blessed us wholeheartedly for the kind of development works we have done with Narendra Modi's blessings and love for Assam," Sarma told reporters after the results. </p>.<p><strong>Hindutva politics</strong></p>.<p>Many within the BJP believe that Sarma's strong stand against the "Bangladeshi infiltrators" helped the party consolidate the indigenous people and Sanatani Hindus against the Congress and the AIUDF.</p>.<p>"The way Assamese communities, tribals, and Bengali Hindus voted for us suggests their approval of Sarma's tough stand against Bangladeshi infiltrators," a BJP leader said.</p>.<p>Since he became the CM for the first time in 2021, the Sarma government evicted many Bengali-speaking Muslims from forests and other government land. He also adopted the "push back" route to send back "illegal migrants" into Bangladesh.</p>.<p>At the same time, he continued to induct leaders from the Congress into the BJP, some of whom were his colleagues until 2015, when he switched to the saffron party. </p>.<p>On Monday, Sarma appealed to Hindu leaders in the Congress to "strengthen the fight ahead against Bangladeshi infiltrators".</p>.<p>He, however, did not answer clearly when asked whether he would take the oath as the CM for a second term.</p>
<p>Guwahati: "Hat-Trick with a century [sic]," Himanta Biswa Sarma posted on X on Monday evening as the BJP and its allies won the Assam Assembly elections for the third straight term, this time with a record 100-plus seats for the extended alliance in the 126-member House. </p>.<p>The Assam CM had predicted this months in advance. As he geared up for the polls, he made two more predictions: One was that the Opposition Congress would win only 20-22 Muslim-majority seats, and two, the Badruddin Ajmal-led AIUDF would be "wiped out" from Assam politics.</p>.<p>The verdict on Monday was an almost exact match: The Congress won 18 Muslim-majority seats and one more under Gaurav Gogoi's leadership. It was the party's worst performance in the state in the past 25 years. The AIUDF, too, put up its worst performance, winning just two seats. </p>.Assam Assembly Elections 2026 | 'Anti-infiltrator' stand, development helps BJP, allies register record victory .<p>Meanwhile, the BJP's tally increased from 60 in 2021 to 82 this time, while its regional allies — the Asom Gana Parishad and the Bodoland People's Front — also bettered their numbers, winning 10 seats each. </p>.<p>The verdict not only meant that Assam was among the few states where the saffron party retained power for the third straight term (like Gujarat), but also served as a stamp of approval on Sarma as a leader and a poll strategist.</p>.<p>Many considered the elections a test of Sarma's leadership, given that it was his first electoral battle as chief minister.</p>.<p>"We sincerely believed that 100+ seats for the NDA was possible, and people blessed us wholeheartedly for the kind of development works we have done with Narendra Modi's blessings and love for Assam," Sarma told reporters after the results. </p>.<p><strong>Hindutva politics</strong></p>.<p>Many within the BJP believe that Sarma's strong stand against the "Bangladeshi infiltrators" helped the party consolidate the indigenous people and Sanatani Hindus against the Congress and the AIUDF.</p>.<p>"The way Assamese communities, tribals, and Bengali Hindus voted for us suggests their approval of Sarma's tough stand against Bangladeshi infiltrators," a BJP leader said.</p>.<p>Since he became the CM for the first time in 2021, the Sarma government evicted many Bengali-speaking Muslims from forests and other government land. He also adopted the "push back" route to send back "illegal migrants" into Bangladesh.</p>.<p>At the same time, he continued to induct leaders from the Congress into the BJP, some of whom were his colleagues until 2015, when he switched to the saffron party. </p>.<p>On Monday, Sarma appealed to Hindu leaders in the Congress to "strengthen the fight ahead against Bangladeshi infiltrators".</p>.<p>He, however, did not answer clearly when asked whether he would take the oath as the CM for a second term.</p>