NEW DELHI : Union Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on December 27 urged Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders and workers in Assam to maintain unity and organisational discipline as the party gears up for the 2026 Assembly elections.

Addressing the BJP’s state executive meeting, Sonowal cautioned against complacency and internal discord, saying the party was entering the next election cycle “from a position of strength” but could not afford divisions within its ranks. He expressed confidence that the BJP would secure a third consecutive term in the state, citing the performance of the party-led governments at the Centre and in Assam over the past decade.

“Regarding the 2026 Assembly elections, we are heading in from a position of strength. But everyone must remain restrained and disciplined,” Sonowal said. “The people are with us, but there should be no infighting within our own party.”

The Union minister said the BJP’s ascent in Assam represented a decisive break from what he described as decades of neglect and instability under previous Congress governments. For nearly 60 years, he said, Assam and the wider Northeast were denied peace, development and dignity, a situation that began to change only after Prime Minister Narendra Modi made the region a national priority.

Sonowal said peace and stability returned to Assam after the BJP formed the government in 2016, attributing the shift to sustained dialogue, firm administrative action and the signing of multiple peace accords. He also highlighted the Prime Minister’s frequent visits to the Northeast and the regular presence of Union ministers in the region, which he said marked a departure from what he termed a “Lutyens Delhi-centric” approach to governance.

Calling for strict organisational discipline, Sonowal reminded party workers of the BJP’s core principle: “Nation comes first, the party second and self last.”

Promotional | North East Integration Rally