Assam’s Nagaon Lok Sabha by-election being held today is going to be a crucial poll battle between the BJP, Congress and AIUDF. There was intense and closely watched three-cornered campaign, with political attacks becomes sharper and there were sporadic incidents of poll violence.
Congress candidate Sibamoni Bora’s vehicle was also reported damaged. Bordoloi subsequently moved to the BJP and won the Dispur Assembly constituency, leaving Nagaon without its sitting Lok Sabha member. AIUDF’s Ajmal has introduced another variable into that equation.
The BJP has now turned to former Nagaon Deputy Commissioner Debashish Sharma, while Congress has fielded former Batadroba MLA Sibamoni Bora. AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal’s decision to contest has added another major factor to the electoral arithmetic. His candidature has itself become a campaign issue. Congress MP Rakibul Hussain had approached the Assam Chief Electoral Officer seeking scrutiny of election-related decisions taken during Sharma’s tenure as district election officer, citing his recent transition from administration to electoral politics. The BJP, meanwhile, has put considerable organisational weight behind Sharma. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has been campaigning extensively for him, with the party scheduling a series of rallies across the constituency. Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has also campaigned for the BJP candidate. For the BJP, the by-election offers an opportunity to convert Bordoloi’s switch to the party into a parliamentary win in Nagaon. Congress has nominated Sibamoni Bora, a former MLA from Batadroba, to defend the constituency. Bora’s campaign has been backed by senior state and national leaders, including APCC president Gaurav Gogoi and Dhubri MP Rakibul Hussain. The Congress campaign has focused heavily on the BJP government and on the political circumstances that led to the by-election. Party leaders have also repeatedly raised questions about the BJP’s relationship with AIUDF and alleged that a divided opposition vote could benefit the ruling party. Gogoi has alleged that AIUDF’s decision to field Ajmal was intended to split votes against the BJP. That is a Congress allegation and has been rejected by AIUDF, which maintains that it is contesting independently. Gogoi subsequently filed a complaint. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma disputed the Congress version and described the incident differently, accusing rival groups within the Congress of being responsible. The competing claims have added another layer of tension to an already aggressive campaign. Ajmal Makes It A Three-Way Fight The entry of Badruddin Ajmal has changed the shape of the contest. Instead of a direct BJP-Congress battle, the AIUDF chief is now campaigning across Nagaon himself, attacking both major parties and projecting his party as an independent alternative. Ajmal has repeatedly claimed that he can win the seat and has questioned the electoral prospects of both Sharma and Bora. He has also targeted Sharma over his political transition from the civil service, while taking aim at Congress leaders, particularly Rakibul Hussain. Ajmal’s presence has brought the question of vote division to the centre of the campaign. Congress leaders have argued that an AIUDF campaign could divide votes opposed to the BJP. AIUDF has rejected that interpretation and maintained that its campaign is independent. The BJP, meanwhile, has sought to put both Congress and AIUDF on the same political canvas during its campaign. Himanta Sarma-Rakibul War Moves Into Peronal Territory One of the most visible political battles of the campaign has been between Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Congress MP Rakibul Hussain. Their exchanges have moved well beyond conventional attacks over policy and governance. Hussain responded with a sarcastic reference to biryani. The remarks have become a prominent talking point in the closing phase of the campaign, with the BJP and Congress continuing to trade attacks. Ajmal has also joined the verbal battle, taking his own shots at Hussain. At the centre of the by-election is the political journey of Pradyut Bordoloi. The BJP is now attempting to build on that political shift through Sharma. Congress, on the other hand, is seeking to retain a constituency it has held in the last two Lok Sabha elections. The BJP is relying heavily on the campaign led by Himanta Biswa Sarma and on Sharma’s image as a former administrator who served in Nagaon. Congress is presenting Bora as its candidate to retain the seat while using the by-election to mount a wider political challenge to the BJP government.
The seat, which Congress won in the 2019 and 2024 Lok Sabha elections, fell vacant after Pradyut Bordoloi left the Congress, joined the BJP and subsequently won the Dispur Assembly seat in the 2026 Assam election. Counting will take place on October 9. The 2024 result shows why the three-way contest has drawn so much attention. Bordoloi had won with 7,88,850 votes, ahead of BJP’s Suresh Borah with 5,76,619. AIUDF’s Aminul Islam finished third with 1,37,340 votes. Sharma took voluntary retirement from the IAS on September 3 after serving as Nagaon’s Deputy Commissioner. He joined the BJP on September 8 and was named the party’s candidate shortly afterwards. The party’s campaign received national attention on September 21 after a Congress convoy travelling through the Barma area of Samaguri was allegedly targeted with stones and bottles. In the 2024 Lok Sabha election, AIUDF’s candidate received nearly 8.9 per cent of the vote in Nagaon. Bordoloi represented Nagaon for two consecutive terms and won the constituency again in 2024 with more than half of the valid votes. The official Election Commission data shows that he secured 7,88,850 votes, while BJP’s Suresh Borah received 5,76,619 and AIUDF’s Aminul Islam polled 1,37,340. For AIUDF, Ajmal’s direct entry is a test of the party’s ability to expand its electoral presence in a constituency where it finished third in 2024.
Gogoi alleged that BJP workers were behind the incident and said vehicles carrying him, former Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel and other Congress leaders were attacked. Sarma had referred to Hussain as “Bakasura”, invoking the mythological figure known for his enormous appetite, while accusing him of “gobbling up” funds meant for government schemes. Sarma then took the exchange further at a rally in Juria, saying that those born to drink their mother’s milk are human beings, while those “born to eat biryani” are animals.
The BJP’s candidate, Debashish Sharma, entered electoral politics only weeks before the by-election.
The exchanges have given the final phase of the campaign a distinctly personal tone, even as the three parties continue to speak about development, representation, governance and the interests of their respective supporters. A Contest Shaped By Political Switch
The campaign has already produced sharp exchanges between the top leaders, allegations of political coordination, accusations of vote division and a reported confrontation involving a Congress convoy. The final few days are therefore likely to remain focused not only on the three candidates but also on the larger political question surrounding the distribution of votes among BJP, Congress and AIUDF.
