Sonari Assembly Constituency is a general unreserved seat located in Charaideo district, Upper Assam. It is one of the 10 segments of the Jorhat Lok Sabha constituency. Established in 1951, Sonari has participated in 16 Assembly elections, including the 2019 by-election. It was a Congress bastion until recently, now on the verge of becoming a BJP stronghold. The town and its surrounding areas have historical significance as part of the ancient Ahom kingdom's eastern frontier, with remnants of old forts and trade routes, and later as a centre during the tea plantation boom under British rule.
Congress won this seat 12 times. Its winning streak was once interrupted in 1985, when Bhadreswar Buragohain, a founding member of the armed separatist group United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA), won in 1985 as an Independent and joined the Asom Gana Parishad. The BJP has won this seat thrice in recent years, including the 2019 Assembly bypoll.
Sarat Barkotoky of Congress won his fifth consecutive term in 2011 by defeating Anup Singh Rajpuruhit of the BJP by 28,904 votes. BJP turned the tables in 2016 with its nominee Topon Kumar Gogoi defeating the sitting Congress MLA Barkotoky by 24,117 votes. Gogoi’s election to the Lok Sabha in 2019 caused a by-election. BJP’s nominee Nabamita Handique emerged as the winner by defeating her Congress rival Sushil Kumar Suri by 15,430 votes. The BJP retained the seat in 2021, with Dharmeswar Konwar prevailing over his Congress rival, Sushil Kumar Suri, by 15,117 votes.
The parliamentary polls in the Sonari Assembly segment have witnessed a keen tussle between Congress and BJP in the last four Lok Sabha elections, with both leading twice each. In 2009, Congress led the BJP by 8,857 votes, which flipped in 2014, with the BJP leading Congress by 29,224 votes, increasing further to 34,521 votes in 2019. Congress roared back in 2024, as it established a lead of 10,334 votes.
Sonari had 171,855 eligible voters in the final roll for the 2026 Assembly elections, marginally up from 170,879 in 2024. Earlier, it stood at 176,499 in 2021, 163,879 in 2019, and 150,918 in 2016, when it was part of Sibsagar district, and 146,659 in 2011. No social group has been in a position to dominate the Sonari constituency. Muslims formed the largest bloc with 5.80 per cent of the voters, compared to 2.59 per cent Scheduled Tribes and 2.18 per cent Scheduled Castes. Sonari is predominantly a rural seat with 92.50 per cent rural and 7.50 per cent urban voters. The voter turnout has remained high with 82.09 per cent in 2011, 85.32 per cent in 2016, 80.94 per cent in 2019 and 82.47 per cent in 2021.
Sonari constituency spans parts of Charaideo district with the Burhi Dihing River flowing nearby. The topography is flat alluvial plains, characteristic of the Brahmaputra Valley, with gentle undulations towards the southern fringes. The terrain supports tea cultivation and agriculture, but is prone to seasonal flooding. Major rivers include the Burhi Dihing and its tributaries influencing the fertile riverine setting.
The economy depends on tea estates, oil and gas activities, paddy farming and small trade. Extensive tea gardens and processing units provide employment, while proximity to oil fields adds to industrial importance. Fertile soils and abundant rainfall sustain agriculture. Infrastructure includes road connectivity via National Highway 37 and state roads linking to Jorhat and Sibsagar. Rail access is available at Sonari railway station on the Northeast Frontier Railway network. Basic amenities serve the town and villages, with ongoing developments in the tea sector and rural roads.
The district headquarters, Sonari, is a town in itself. Other nearby towns include Sibsagar, about 35 km west, Jorhat, about 60 km southwest, and Charaideo areas. State capital Dispur/Guwahati is around 350-380 km southwest.
A look at the electoral history of Sonari shows the BJP gaining strong momentum in recent Assembly polls with three consecutive wins, while Congress staged a comeback in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in this segment. The 2023 delimitation and boundary changes have introduced new voter dynamics, but the BJP's recent dominance in both Assembly and parliamentary trends gives it the edge heading into the 2026 Assembly elections. Congress retains a fighting chance if it capitalises on local issues and any anti-incumbency. Without a major shift, the BJP appears well-positioned to hold Sonari in the coming election.
(Ajay Jha)
