As early counting trends point to a decisive victory for the BJP led by Himanta Biswa Sarma in Assam, the mandate is set to mark not just a second consecutive term in office for the Chief Minister but also the consolidation of one of the most consequential political careers in the BJP’s contemporary landscape.

For Sarma, 57, this is more than an electoral win; it is a reaffirmation of a political method built on organisational control, ideological repositioning, and an instinctive grasp of power.

A Congress insider for nearly two decades, Sarma’s shift to the BJP in 2015 has since acquired the quality of political folklore.…