1985 Assam Legislative Assembly election

The 8th Assam Legislative Assembly election was held in two phases in December 1985 to elect members from 126 constituencies in Assam, India.^[1][2][3]

The legislatively assembly elections represented the culmination of the six-year Assam Movement from 1979 to 1985. The Assam Accord between the agitation leaders and the Government of India ended a period of sustained civil disobedience campaigns, political instability and ethnic violence.^[4] The agitation leaders contested the election as independents affiliated with the All Assam Students' Union and joined the Asom Gana Parishad floated at the Golaghat Convention before the elections.^[5] Asom Gana Parishad party president, Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, became the Chief Minister of Assam.^[6]

The elections were fought amidst tense ethnic and sectarian relations. Dilip Chakraborty, a leader of the Bengali minority community, moved the Supreme Court in a writ petition claiming that the accord was violative of Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution as well as of the Citizenship Act (1955).^[7]

The Assamese Hindus largely supported the Asom Gana Parishad, but many tribals voted also for the Plain Tribals Council of Assam.^[7] The Bengali Muslims largely supported the United Minorities Front, and the Bengali Hindus largely supported the Communist Party of India (Marxist).^[7] The Indian National Congress passed the IMDT Act after the 1983 Assam Legislative Assembly elections, but failed to retain the support of the Bengali immigrant population.^[7] Other national parties such as the Janata Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party suffered a rout.^[7] The Indian Congress (Socialist) led by former Chief Minister of Assam, Sarat Chandra Sinha, cut into the Indian National Congress vote.