Assam Panchayat elections to be held in two phases on May 2, May 7

way2barak April 2: The Assam State Election Commission has officially announced that the Panchayat elections in the state will be conducted in two phases on May 2 and May 7, 2025, setting the stage for a crucial electoral battle ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.

The first phase will cover the districts of Upper Assam and Barak Valley, while the second phase will take place in Lower Assam districts.

The vote counting is scheduled for May 11, 2025. In a significant decision, the elections will be conducted using traditional ballot papers instead of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), as confirmed by State Election Commissioner Alok Kumar.

Ahead of the polls, the Assam government undertook a fresh delimitation of Gaon Panchayat, Anchalik Panchayat, and Zilla Parishad constituencies across 27 districts in 2024, excluding areas under the Sixth Schedule and municipal regions.

Following this exercise, the final electoral rolls were published on December 28, 2024, listing a total of 1,80,14,913 registered voters, comprising 90,60,640 male voters, 89,53,865 female voters, and 408 third-gender voters.

While the Assam Panchayat (Amendment) Bill, 2023, provided the framework for the introduction of EVMs in local body elections, the State Election Commission has opted to retain ballot papers for the upcoming polls.

The last Panchayat elections in Assam were held in 2018, in which the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured a resounding victory.

Political analysts view the Panchayat elections as a litmus test for political parties ahead of the 2026 Assam Assembly elections.

Given the large voter base and grassroots significance of the Panchayat system, these elections are expected to witness an intense electoral contest between the ruling BJP and opposition parties, including the Congress, the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), and regional outfits like the Asom Jatiya Parishad (AJP) and Raijor Dal.