Lok Sabha member Dilip Saikia has become the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Assam unit president a little more than a year ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.
Mr. Saikia, 51, filed his nomination on Thursday (January 16, 2025) evening in the presence of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, observers Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Sambit Patra, Sunil Bansal, and Harish Dwivedi, and many State leaders.
He was elected unopposed at 11 a.m. on Friday (January 17, 2025). Mr. Shekhawat, who served as the returning officer for the election, formally handed over the official appointment letter to Mr. Saikia, who replaced Bhabesh Kalita, a former minister who was on an extended term.
The Chief Minister waxed eloquent on Mr. Kalita, acknowledging that he led the BJP to its highest-ever tally in a parliamentary election (2024) and helped increase the NDA’s tally in the 126-member Assembly from 74 to 84 seats.
“We also attained victories in a series of by-polls and exceeded our target of enrolling 60 lakh new members in the 2024 membership drive because of his (Mr Kalita’s) organisational skills,” he said.
A two-time MP, Mr Saikia represents the Darrang-Udalguri seat. He was actively involved in student politics and held positions in Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). He also served as a national general secretary of the BJP.
