| Election Name: | 1996 Assam Legislative Assembly election |
| Country: | India |
| Type: | legislative |
| Vote Type: | Popular |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1991 Assam Legislative Assembly election |
| Previous Year: | 1991 |
| Election Date: | 27 April 1996 |
| Next Election: | 2001 Assam Legislative Assembly election |
| Next Year: | 2001 |
| Seats For Election: | 122 seats in the Assam Legislative Assembly |
| Majority Seats: | 62 |
| Turnout: | 78.92% |
| Party1: | Asom Gana Parishad |
| Image1: | File:The former Chief Minister of Assam, Shri Prafulla Kumar Mahanta calling on the Minister of State for Culture and Tourism (Independent Charge), Dr. Mahesh Sharma, in New Delhi on July 20, 2017 (cropped).jpg |
| Leader1: | Prafulla Kumar Mahanta |
| Seats1: | 59 |
| Popular Vote1: | 29.70% |
| Seat Change1: | 40 |
| Party2: | Indian National Congress |
| Leader2: | Hiteswar Saikia |
| Seats2: | 34 |
| Popular Vote2: | 30.56% |
| Seat Change2: | 32 |
| CM | |
| Before Party: | Indian National Congress |
| Before Election: | Bhumidhar Barman |
| After Party: | Asom Gana Parishad |
| After Election: | Prafulla Kumar Mahanta |
Elections to the Assam Legislative Assembly were held in April 1996 to elect members of 114 constituencies in Assam, India. The Indian National Congress (INC) won the popular vote, but the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) won the most seats and Prafulla Kumar Mahanta was appointed as the Chief Minister of Assam for his second term.[1] [2] The number of constituencies was set as 126, by the recommendation of the Delimitation Commission of India,[3] but elections were held in only 122 constituencies. The constituencies of Dispur, Dergaon, Nazira and Margherita did not go to polls immediately, but they had polls in November 1996.
The Chief Minister of Assam, Hiteswar Saikia, died in Delhi, on 22 April 1996, just 5 days before the election.[4] Bhumidhar Barman was sworn in as chief-minister, but since the INC wasn't able to form the government after the election, his tenure was just 22 days.
In 1993, the breakaway group of the AGP, the Natun Asom Gana Parishad, merged back with the AGP. Additionally, the AGP formed a five-party alliance before the elections, with the CPI, the CPI(M), the ASDC and the UMFA.[5]
| Constituency | Reserved for (SC/ST/None) | Member | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ratabari | SC | |||
| Patharkandi | None | |||
| Karimganj North | None | Sirajul Haque Choudhury | ||
| Karimganj South | None | Abdul Muqtadir Choudhury | ||
| Badarpur | None | Abu Saleh Najmuddin | ||
| Hailakandi | None | Abdul Muhib Majumder | ||
| Katlicherra | None | |||
| Algapur | None | Sahidul Alam Choudhury | ||
| Silchar | None | |||
| Sonai | None | Anwar Hussain Laskar | ||
| Dholai | SC | Girindra Mallik | ||
| Udharbond | None | Jagannath Sinha | ||
| Lakhipur | None | Dinesh Prosad Goala | ||
| Barkhola | None | Misbahul Islam Laskar | ||
| Katigora | None | |||
| Haflong | ST | Samarjit Haflongbar | ||
| Bokajan | ST | |||
| Howraghat | ST | Chandra Kanta Terang | ||
| Diphu | ST | |||
| Baithalangso | ST | Holiram Terang | ||
| Mankachar | None | Aminul Islam | ||
| Salmara South | None | Wazed Ali Choudhury | ||
| Dhubri | None | Nazibul Umar | ||
| Gauripur | None | Banendra Kumar Mushahary | ||
| Golakganj | None | Alauddin Sarkar | ||
| Bilasipara West | None | Ali Akbar Miah | ||
| Bilasipara East | None | Prasanta Kumar Barua | ||
| Gossaigaon | None | Rajendra Mushahary | ||
| Kokrajhar West | ST | Hemendra Nath Brahma | ||
| Kokrajhar East | ST | Pramila Rani Brahma | ||
| Sidli | ST | Andrias Hajoary | ||
| Bongaigaon | None | |||
| Bijni | None | Mohini Basumatary | ||
| Abhayapuri North | None | Bhupen Ch. Ray | ||
| Abhayapuri South | SC | Rabin Banikya | ||
| Dudhnai | ST | Akan Rabha | ||
| Goalpara East | None | Jyotish Das | ||
| Goalpara West | None | Abu Bakkar Siddique Jotdar | ||
| Jaleswar | None | Afzalur Rahman | ||
| Sorbhog | None | Hemen Das | ||
| Bhabanipur | None | Surendra Nath Medhi | ||
| Patacharkuchi | None | Mohan Das | ||
| Barpeta | None | Ismail Hussain | ||
| Jania | None | Abdur Rouf | ||
| Baghbar | None | Sheikh Abdul Hamid | ||
| Sarukhetri | None | Nizamuddin Khan | ||
| Chenga | None | Sukur Ali | ||
| Boko | SC | Jyoti Prasad Das | ||
| Chaygaon | None | Kamala Kanta Kalita | ||
| Palasbari | None | Jatin Mali | ||
| Jalukbari | None | Bhrigu Kumar Phukan | ||
| Gauhati East | None | Biraj Kumar Sarma | ||
| Gauhati West | None | Ramendra Narayan Kalita | ||
| Hajo | None | Nurul Hussain | ||
| Kamalpur | None | Maidul Islam Bora | ||
| Rangiya | None | |||
| Tamulpur | None | Derhagra Mochahari | ||
| Nalbari | None | Nagen Sarma | ||
| Barkhetry | None | |||
| Dharmapur | None | |||
| Barama | ST | Rekha Rani Das Boro | ||
| Chapaguri | ST | Jagmohan Basmatary | ||
| Panery | None | Kumud Chandra Das | ||
| Kalaigaon | None | Mahendra Mohan Rai Choudhury | ||
| Sipajhar | None | Zoii Nath Sarmah | ||
| Mangaldoi | SC | Hiren Kumar Das | ||
| Dalgaon | None | Abdul Jabbar | ||
| Udalguri | ST | Deva Kanta Ramchiary | ||
| Majbat | None | Silvius Condpan | ||
| Dhekiajuli | None | |||
| Barchalla | None | Prafulla Goswami | ||
| Tezpur | None | Brindabon Goswami | ||
| Rangapara | None | Bhimananda Tanti | ||
| Sootea | None | Padma Hazarika | ||
| Biswanath | None | Prabin Hazarika | ||
| Behali | None | Barnabash Tanti | ||
| Gohpur | None | Ganesh Kutum | ||
| Jagiroad | SC | Bubul Das | ||
| Marigaon | None | Munin Mahanta | ||
| Laharighat | None | Nazrul Islam | ||
| Raha | SC | Gahin Ch. Das | ||
| Dhing | None | Mustafa Shahidul Islam | ||
| Batadroba | None | Digen Chandra Borah | ||
| Rupohihat | None | Rashidul Haque | ||
| Nowgong | None | |||
| Barhampur | None | |||
| Samaguri | None | Atul Kumar Sharma | ||
| Kaliabor | None | Gunin Hazarika | ||
| Jamunamukh | None | Khalilur Rahman Chowdhury | ||
| Hojai | None | Ardhendu Kumar Dey | ||
| Lumding | None | Hazi Abdur Rouf | ||
| Bokakhat | None | Bhupendra Nath Bhuyan | ||
| Sarupathar | None | Binod Gowala | ||
| Golaghat | None | |||
| Khumtai | None | Probin Gogoi | ||
| Jorhat | None | |||
| Majuli | ST | Karuna Dutta | ||
| Titabar | None | Hemanta Kalita | ||
| Mariani | None | Rupam Kurmi | ||
| Teok | None | Renupoma Rajkhowa | ||
| Amguri | None | Pradip Hazarika | ||
| Mahmara | None | Hiranya Kumar Konwar | ||
| Sonari | None | Sarat Borkataky | ||
| Thowra | None | Debananda Konwar | ||
| Sibsagar | None | |||
| Bihpuria | None | Kesharam Bora | ||
| Naoboicha | None | Mani Kr. Subba | ||
| Lakhimpur | None | Utpal Dutta | ||
| Dhakuakhana | ST | |||
| Dhemaji | ST | |||
| Jonai | ST | |||
| Moran | None | Joy Chandra Nagbanshi | ||
| Dibrugarh | None | Kalyan Kumar Gogoi | ||
| Lahowal | None | Prithibi Majhi | ||
| Duliajan | None | Amiya Gogoi | ||
| Tingkhong | None | Atuwa Munda | ||
| Naharkatia | None | Pranati Phukan | ||
| Chabua | None | Bhaben Baruah | ||
| Tinsukia | None | Sudhangshu Coomer De Sirkar | ||
| Digboi | None | Rameswar Dhanowar | ||
| Doom Dooma | None | Dileswar Tanti | ||
| Sadiya | None | Jogdish Bhuyan | ||
On 6 May 1996, the Minister for Rural Development, and candidate for the Golaghat Assembly constituency, Nagen Neog was killed, by suspected terrorists. Along with him, 8 other people, including his driver, and 5 bodyguards, also died.[6]
| Date | Constituency | Winner | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 November 1996 | Dispur | Atul Bora[7] | ||
| Nowgong | Girindra Kumar Baruah[8] | |||
| Dergaon | Sushila Hazarika[9] | |||
| Hemprove Saikia[10] | ||||
| Margherita | Tarun Gogoi[11] | |||