The Assam government on Tuesday tabled a bill seeking to ban polygamy in the state, proposing a maximum punishment of seven years’ imprisonment for violations.

Chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma introduced the Assam Prohibition of Polygamy Bill, 2025, on the first day of the winter session of the Assembly.

Assam has been governed by a BJP-led government since 2016. The cabinet had cleared the bill on November 9 to prohibit and eliminate polygamy across the state, excluding areas under the Sixth Schedule.

The draft legislation extends to residents of Assam even if they marry outside the state. It states that any person ordinarily residing in Assam before the act’s commencement, who “willingly and knowingly” enters into a polygamous marriage outside the state thereafter, will also be punishable under its provisions.

The bill further proposes action against those who “wilfully” hide, neglect or delay reporting such marriages, making them liable under the same sections as the primary accused.

The legislation empowers police to intervene and prevent any such marriage from taking place and provides for a mechanism to compensate affected women, noting that victims of polygamous marriages often suffer “immense pain and hardship”.