The Bharatiya Janata Party government in Assam will introduce the Uniform Civil Code bill in the Assembly on May 26, said Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

Sarma added that the state Cabinet had approved the draft legislation.

Speaking to reporters after chairing the first Cabinet meeting of his second term as head of the state government, the chief minister said that the tribal population in the state would be kept outside the purview of the Uniform Civil Code bill.

“We have also kept all rituals, traditions and customs practised by the people of Assam outside the scope of the Uniform Civil Code,” the chief minister said, adding that the code will deal with succession, marriage, live-in relationships, and compulsory registration of marriage and divorce.

The Uniform Civil Code refers to a common set of laws governing marriage, divorce, succession and adoption for all citizens. Currently, such personal affairs of different religious are based on community-specific laws, largely derived from religious scripture.

The introduction of a common personal law has for long been on the BJP’s agenda and several states ruled by the party have been making advances towards implementing it.

In January 2025, BJP-ruled Uttarakhand became the first state to implement the Uniform Civil Code after independence. The Gujarat Assembly cleared a similar legislation on March 24 amid protests by the Opposition. A common civil code has been in place in Goa since the Portuguese Civil Code was adopted in 1867.

In its campaign for the Uniform Civil Code in Uttarakhand, the BJP had mainly targeted Muslim personal law, arguing that it discriminated against women as it allows Muslim men to practice polygamy, inherit a greater share of property, initiate divorce and deny alimony.

Legal experts have said that Uttarakhand’s Uniform Civil Code is drawn primarily from Hindu personal law and could lead to the erasure of the personal law practices of minority communities.

Sarma has repeatedly said that Assam will be the third state, after Uttarakhand and Gujarat, to implement a Uniform Civil Code.

In the run-up to the 2026 Assembly elections in Assam, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on March 29 also said that a Uniform Civil Code would be introduced in Assam if the BJP retains power in the state.

On May 4, the BJP secured its third consecutive term in Assam after winning the elections.

Sarma on Tuesday took oath as the chief minister of Assam for the second term.

Separately, the Assam Assembly in November passed the 2025 Assam Prohibition of Polygamy Bill to ban polygamy, the practice of having more than one wife.

The legislation proposes up to seven years of imprisonment for persons convicted of polygamy. Further, those found guilty of having concealed their previous marriage can face punishment of up to ten years’ imprisonment.

The introduction of the legislation was viewed as a step towards implementing the Uniform Civil Code in the state.

Written by Leah Thomas. Edited by Sneha.