Tribal council chiefs enter Assam electoral fray

Tribal council chiefs and their families enter Assam's electoral scene, aiming for representation in the 2026 Assembly elections

GUWAHATI

Assam’s Mandate 2026 marks a new political journey for tribal council chiefs and their kin.

Tuliram Ronghang, the Chief Executive Member (CEM) of the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC), and his Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council (RHAC) counterpart Tankeswar Rabha are the Bharatiya Janata Party’s candidates from the reserved Rongkhang and Dudhnai Assembly constituencies.

A CEM is the head of the government of a specific tribal autonomous area within a State. The KAAC is one of three tribal councils under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, while the RHAC is one of nine statutory autonomous councils in Assam.

“This is a new journey for me. I carry the aspirations and voices of our people, hoping to serve them from another platform of power,” Mr. Ronghang, who has been the CEM of KAAC since October 2013, said. The platform he referred to is the 126-member Assam Assembly.

Mr. Rabha, who has led the RHAC for three consecutive terms, is the president of the regional Rabha Hasong Joutha Mancha party but is contesting the Dudhnai seat on a BJP symbol. “To be in the Assembly does not mean I will step away from my responsibilities towards the council. I will continue to work for its welfare and for the development of the region,” he said after filing his nomination papers on Friday (March 20, 2026).