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Who is Nandita Gorlosa, BJP leader who joined Congress day before Assam nomination deadline?
Nandita Gorlosa's defection has triggered a reshuffle in the Congress’s candidate list for Assam elections as the party decided to field her from Haflong.
Assam politician Nandita Gorlosa has come into the spotlight 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 the Haflong (ST) constituency and a former state minister took the step after the BJP denied her a ticket for the upcoming polls, instead nominating newcomer Rupali Langthasa from the seat.
Her defection, which came just a day before the deadline for filing nominations, triggered a reshuffle in the Congress’s candidate list as the party decided to field her from Haflong. The move is being 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 portfolios such as mines and minerals and tribal faith in the state cabinet.
Who is Nandita Gorlosa?
Nandita Gorlosa is an Assam politician and former minister who has represented the Haflong (ST) constituency in the state assembly.
Gorlosa was elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) from Haflong in 2021 on a BJP ticket. Following her victory, she was inducted into the Assam cabinet and handled portfolios such as mines and minerals and tribal faith and culture.
Born on May 13, 1977, Gorlosa hails from Haflong in the hill district of Dima Hasao. She emerged as a significant political voice in the region and built a support base among tribal communities in the constituency.
In March 2026, she left the BJP after being denied a party ticket for the upcoming assembly polls. The party had instead nominated newcomer Rupali Langthasa from the Haflong seat as part of a broader strategy that saw several sitting MLAs dropped from the candidate list.
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 earlier nominee, with Congress leaders saying the move could strengthen the party’s prospects in the key tribal seat.
Her defection came just before the nomination deadline for the 2026 Assam assembly elections, scheduled for April 9, making it one of the notable last-minute political shifts in the state’s pre-poll landscape.
