BJP Vows UCC and Ban on Polygamy if Re-elected in Assam

The most direct issue in the upcoming Assam elections is the BJP’s plan to implement the
Uniform Civil Code (UCC) immediately if they return to power. During recent campaign rallies
in March 2026, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma
have made it clear that a win for the party is a mandate for this legal shift. The central goal is
to replace religious personal laws with one common law for everyone, focusing specifically
on a total ban on polygamy.
The government argues that this move is about social reform rather than religion. By
banning the practice of having multiple spouses and standardizing rules for divorce and
inheritance, they aim to provide equal legal standing to all women in the state. This follows
the groundwork laid in late 2025, when the state assembly passed the Assam Prohibition of
Polygamy Bill, which many saw as a “preview” of the full UCC.
A key part of this plan is the protection of Assam’s indigenous identity. The BJP has stated
that the UCC will not apply to Scheduled Tribes or areas under the Sixth Schedule of the
Constitution. This exclusion is designed to reassure tribal communities that their ancient
customs and traditional rights will remain untouched, even as the rest of the state moves
toward a unified legal system.
For the voters, the choice is now very clear. A vote for the BJP is a vote for a standardized
legal system that ends traditional religious exemptions in family law. While the opposition
argues this move threatens the state’s diversity, the ruling party is betting that a focus on
“one law for all” and the deportation of illegal immigrants will secure them a third consecutive
term.