Guwahati / Nagaon, September 11: The Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday officially named former Nagaon Deputy Commissioner Devasish Sharma as its candidate for the upcoming Nagaon Lok Sabha bypoll, marking a significant development in the high-stakes contest scheduled for October 6 with counting of votes on October 9. The announcement was made by the BJP’s Central Election Committee in a press release issued from the party’s central office in New Delhi, shortly after Sharma joined the BJP, ending days of speculation about his possible candidature from the constituency.
The by-election was necessitated after former Congress MP Pradyut Bordoloi resigned from both the party and his parliamentary seat earlier this year before switching to the BJP and winning the Dispur Assembly constituency in the 2026 state elections. The Nagaon parliamentary seat, which comprises eight Assembly segments across Nagaon and Morigaon districts, has an electorate of approximately 19.07 lakh voters spread over 1,339 polling stations. According to the Election Commission’s schedule, the last date for filing nominations is September 16, scrutiny will be held on September 17, and candidates can withdraw their nominations till September 19. The Model Code of Conduct is already in force across the constituency.
On Thursday, Assam’s Chief Electoral Officer held a meeting with representatives of recognised political parties to discuss election-related arrangements, while the first round of EVM and VVPAT randomisation began on Friday in the presence of party observers. District administrations have started removing unauthorised campaign materials and strengthening security measures ahead of the polls.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had earlier cautioned that Nagaon is not a traditional BJP stronghold, noting that the party had lost the seat by around 2.5 lakh votes in the previous Lok Sabha election. He said the party’s strategy would focus on consolidating its position in the Assembly segments it won in the recent state polls while seeking to improve its performance in the remaining areas. The constituency has a substantial minority population, particularly in segments such as Dhing, Rupahihat, Samaguri and Laharighat, making the political arithmetic complex.
With the BJP now fielding Devasish Sharma, a former IAS officer and ex-Deputy Commissioner of Nagaon who is familiar with the district’s administration and ground realities, the contest is expected to intensify further. The Congress and other parties, including AIUDF, are yet to finalise their candidates, and political activity is expected to pick up sharply in the coming days as all sides prepare for what is being viewed as an important electoral test in central Assam.
