1991 Assam Legislative Assembly election

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126 seats in theAssam Legislative Assembly 64 seats needed for a majority
Registered	11,892,170
Turnout	74.67%
Majority party Minority party   Leader Hiteswar Saikia Prafulla Kumar Mahanta Party INC AGP Seats before 26 92 Seats won 66 18 Seat change 40 74 Popular vote 29.35% 17.78
CM before election President's Rule ElectedCM Hiteswar Saikia INC

Elections to theAssam Legislative Assembly were held in June 1991 to elect members of 126 constituencies inAssam, India.^[1] TheIndian National Congress won the popular vote and a majority of seats andHiteswar Saikia was appointed as theChief Minister of Assam forhis second term.^[2][3] The number of constituencies was set as 126, by the recommendation of theDelimitation Commission of India.^[4]

TheAsom Gana Parishad was a constituent member of theThird FrontUnionGovernment of India formed in1989. However, the Assam state executive headed by the Asom Gana Parishad was subsequently dismissed by the Government of India.President's rule was imposed in the state and theIndian Army was tasked with executingOperation Bajrang against theUnited Liberation Front of Assam.

The elections were fought amidst tense ethnic and sectarian relations. An unnamed legislator associated with the Asom Gana Parishad declared before the elections that^[5]:

The electorate in Assam will, however, keep a sharp eye onAGP's stand on the foreigners issue — so far its silence over this vexed problem was understandable. The stigma of fouling up theIndian Constitution. As a consequence thereof, they cannot talk of scrapping the part of the Assam accord. But the issue cannot be left hanging either. The immigrant vote bank is a treasure chest for any political party. The AGP can ill afford to disregard it. It is here that theBJP factor once again comes to the fore. The BJP has made the problem even more complex. It has sought to divide the immigrants into two clear cut sections strictly on religious grounds. The non-Muslims immigrating into India which mainly includes theHindus and of course theChakmas, are termed as refugees and are to be given shelter here. On the other hand, theMuslim immigrants are deemed as aliens and are to be detected and deported. This typical stand of the BJP makes little sense and in all likelihood it fails to make any impact on the electorate in Assam. However, there is another face of it. Reports of fundamentalism gaining ground in Assam and in the forthcoming hustings forces ofpan-Islamic groups and those subscribing toHindutva might play dominant roles. Though examples of anything communal making impact on the Assamese are rare, the time has come for the law enforcing authorities to expect the best but prepare for the worst. Prospects of the BJP improving the position in theBarak Valley are bright. There, of course, the question of the Bengali Hindus asserting their right for the sake of their identity is at stake. TheNepalis as well as the Chakmas coming to India in search of greener pastures, have added another dimensions to this festering problem. The peculiar stand of the government of Assam vis-à-vis the infiltration issue is diabolic to say the least. While thesurrounding states have pushed the Chakmas out of their borders, all of them have taken refuge in Assam. Steps have been taken to deport them in batches toBangladesh, but still many of them remain. Some of them even refuse to return to Bangladesh for fear of persecution from the illegal settlers there. Unless things are really sorted out in Bangladesh and also inNepal the foreigners issue will surely remain a potential area for the political parties to make fresh forays. To sum up, the Assembly elections in Assam will be one of the most explosive ones in recent years. The strength of the opposition parties vis-à-vis the rulingCongress (I) will mark a new point in the state politics. Even the viability of the regional parties will be on test. Though the Left parties are trying to form a united front against the Congress but nothing concrete has yet emanated.^[5]

Party		Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	Indian National Congress	2,455,302	29.35	66	40
	Asom Gana Parishad	1,487,368	17.78	18	74
	Bharatiya Janata Party	548,271	6.55	10	New
	Natun Asom Gana Parishad	456,209	5.45	5	New
	Janata Dal	398,623	4.77	1	New
	Communist Party of India (Marxist)	321,926	3.85	2	0
	Communist Party of India	206,541	2.47	4	4
	Autonomous State Demand Committee	133,280	1.59	4	New
	Others	553,683	6.62	0	0
	Independents	1,803,629	21.56	16	16
Total		8,364,832	100.00	126	0
Valid votes		8,364,832	94.33
Invalid/blank votes		502,807	5.67
Total votes		8,867,639	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		11,892,170	74.57
Source: ECI[6]

• List of constituencies of the Assam Legislative Assembly
• 1991 elections in India

• 1991 State Assembly elections in India
• State Assembly elections in Assam
• 1990s in Assam
• June 1991 in India

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