Ajanta Neog

Assam’s first woman Finance Minister Ajanta Neog is contesting from Golaghat in the 2026 Assembly elections, seeking to extend her winning streak from a constituency she has represented for over two decades.

Neog holds the distinction of being the longest-serving woman MLA in the state, having won five consecutive terms from Golaghat since 2001. In the 2021 elections, she retained the seat with a margin of 9,036 votes, reinforcing her strong electoral base.

Her political career began under former Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, who brought her into public life after the killing of her husband, Nagen Neog, by ULFA in 1996. She went on to serve as a minister in Gogoi’s cabinets in 2006 and 2011, handling key portfolios, including the Public Works Department.

A law graduate from Gauhati University, Neog switched from the Congress to the BJP in December 2020 in a significant political move ahead of the 2021 Assembly polls. Following the BJP’s victory in 2021, she was appointed Finance Minister in the Himanta Biswa Sarma government, becoming the first woman to hold the post in Assam.

As she seeks another term in 2026, Neog remains one of the BJP’s most prominent faces in Upper Assam, combining administrative experience with a long-standing electoral connect in Golaghat.

Candidate Info: Ajanta Neog is the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate contesting from Golaghat (General) Assembly constituency for the 2026 Assam Assembly elections. This female candidate is 62 years of age, according to the election affidavit submitted to the Election Commission of India.