Makum constituency assembly elections 2026: BJP candidate Sanjoy Kishan wins against Congress’s Sibanath Chetia

The electoral contest in Assam’s Makum constituency featured BJP candidate Sanjoy Kishan going up against Congress’s Sibanath Chetia. Kishan ultimately came out on top, securing a total of 74,694 votes. The BJP candidate won against Chetia with a vote margin of 28,276 votes.Meanwhile, exit polls from various agencies have projected that the BJP-led alliance is likely to win a comfortable majority in the state, pointing towards the continuation of the current government. This would mean that Himanta Biswa Sarma is expected to remain in office as chief minister.Voting across all 126 constituencies took place on April 9, with turnout exceeding 85 percent, reflecting a strong response from the electorate. The high voter participation was observed across both rural and urban areas, signalling widespread interest and engagement in the electoral process.Makum Assembly constituency, newly formed in 2023 in Assam's Tinsukia district, is part of the ongoing 2026 Assam Legislative Assembly elections, with voting scheduled for April 9 and results on May 4.As of March 23, no current MLA has been elected yet since results are pending, though BJP is contesting strongly as part of the NDA alliances amid pre-election shifts like Congress defections to BJP.Prior to its formation, nearby areas like Tinsukia saw BJP's Sanjoy Kishan win in 2021 by a large margin of 70,797 votes (55%), but specific 2026 candidate and margin details for Makum remain unavailable pre-results.Key constituency issues include frequent oil and gas pipeline leaks from Oil India Limited operations posing safety risks to residents, alongside high youth unemployment driving migration (over 20,000 educated locals from nearby Margherita-Makum areas have left for jobs), closed coal collieries despite rich reserves, and limited industrial revival in this former coal and timber hub.