The Assam Cabinet, led by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, on Tuesday approved reserving 3% of Class I and Class II government jobs for the tea tribes and Adivasi community. This follows an earlier reservation for these communities in Class III and IV jobs. The tea tribes are a key voter group, making up nearly 20% of Assam’s electorate. This move comes just before the Assembly elections due by April 2026, where the Bharatiya Janata Party seeks a third term. The tea tribes votes reportedly shifted from Congress to BJP recently. Alongside job reservations, the Cabinet cleared releasing seed capital to over 1 lakh women self-help group members under the Mukhyamantri Mahila Udyamita Abhiyaan. The Cabinet also approved building a second Sainik School at Langvoku in Karbi Anglong district. The Defence Ministry had already okayed the detailed plan. Finance Minister Ajanta Neog presented a ₹62,294.78 crore vote-on-account Budget for 2026-27’s initial months. She assured continued support for key cash benefit schemes like Nijut Moina (girls), Nijut Babu (boys), and Orunodoi (poverty relief). Orunodoi now helps 40 lakh families, up from 19 lakh in 2021. Neog said it includes differently-abled, transgender, and other vulnerable groups, making it Assam’s largest social assistance program. Neog highlighted Assam as India’s fastest-growing state, expecting a ₹10 lakh crore economy by 2028, two years early. From 2019-20 to 2024-25, Assam’s Gross State Domestic Product grew 45%, beating the national average of 29%. The per capita income more than doubled, reaching ₹1,85,429 in 2025-26 from ₹86,947 five years ago.