New Delhi, March 29 -- In the weeks leading up to the 2026 assembly elections in politically sensitive northeast India's largest state, Assam experiences a well-known cycle of political turbulence - experienced politicians making last-minute party switches, hasty alliances being formed, longstanding party figures being denied tickets, and an overall sense of political drama. This all feels remarkably familiar, as the March-April air in Assam begins to sway to political rhythms and the inevitable, often scripted, last-minute pre-election drama.

Opinion polls and political readings alike suggest that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), pushed by a highly efficient organisational machinery and the political centrality of Chief Minister Himant...