Assam politician Nandita Gorlosa is in the limelight ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections after switching from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to the Congress at the last minute. The sitting MLA from Haflong (ST) constituency and a former state minister took the step after the BJP denied her a ticket for the upcoming elections and instead nominated new entrant Rupali Langthasa from the seat.
Her defection, which came just a day before the deadline for filing nominations, led to a reshuffle in the list of Congress candidates as the party decided to nominate her from Haflong. The move is seen as a significant political development in Assam’s hill district of Dima Hasao, where Gorlosa has served as MLA since 2021 and previously held positions such as mines, minerals and tribal faith in the state government.
Who is Nandita Gorlosa?
Nandita Gorlosa is an Assamese politician and former minister who represented Haflong (ST) constituency in the state assembly.
Gorlosa was elected as Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) from Haflong in 2021 on a BJP ticket. After her victory, she was appointed to the Assam government and took up positions such as mines, minerals, tribal faith and culture.
Gorlosa was born on May 13, 1977, and hails from Haflong in the hill district of Dima Hasao. She emerged as an important political voice in the region and built a support base among the tribal communities in the constituency.
In March 2026, she left the BJP after being denied the party ticket for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The party instead nominated newcomer Rupali Langthasa from the Havelong seat as part of a broader strategy that saw several incumbent MLAs dropped from the list of candidates.
Soon after, Gorlosa joined the Congress and is set to contest the election from the same constituency on a Congress ticket. Her entry prompted the party to reconsider its previous candidate, with Congress leaders saying the move could boost the party’s chances in the key tribal seat.
Her defection came ahead of the nomination deadline for the 2026 Assam Assembly elections, scheduled for April 9, making her one of the notable last-minute political shifts in the state’s pre-election landscape.
