Assam assembly polls: Will Sarbananda Sonowal break Gogoi's 15-year rule?

53-year-old Sonowal is BJP's CM candidate and one of the most popular candidates in Assam

Union Minister for Sports & Youth Affairs Sarbananda Sonowal started his political career as the President of All Assam Students Union (AASU), from 1992 to 1999. He then went on to become a member of the Asom Gana Parishad till 2011, before he finally joining BJP.

In 2012, Sonowal was appointed as the President for the state unit of the party - a post was re-appointed to in 2014, after the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. He is credited with the party’s victory in seven of the 14 seats in Assam, increasing the BJP’s vote share in Assam to 35% in the 2014 polls.

53-year-old Sonowal today is BJP's chief ministerial candidate for the 2016 assembly polls and one of the most popular candidates in Assam.

Sonowal is contesting the elections from the Majuli (ST) constituency, where his key opponent is sitting MLA and Congress leader Rajib Lochan Pegu.

Sonowal is considered to be one of the most promising leaders of Assam. Besides the all round development of Assam, Sonowal has claimed that his priority lies in zero tolerance for the illegal migrants and complete seal of Indo-Bangla border. 

He has also been credited with successfully challenging the controversial Illegal Migrants (Determination by Tribunals) Act. The Act was struck down by the Supreme Court, as it termed the legoslation as  “the biggest hurdle and is the main impediment or barrier in the identification and deportation of illegal migrants”.