Guwahati, Sept. 9: The Nagaon Lok Sabha by-election is rapidly emerging as a high-stakes, multi-cornered battle, with the Election Commission of India scheduling polling for October 6 and counting of votes for October 9. The contest, triggered by the resignation of two-time Congress MP Pradyut Bordoloi, who switched to the Bharatiya Janata Party and won the Dispur Assembly seat earlier this year, has drawn in the ruling BJP, Congress, AIUDF and Trinamool Congress, setting the stage for a closely watched political fight in central Assam.
According to the poll schedule, the gazette notification will be issued on September 9, with the last date for filing nominations fixed for September 16. Scrutiny of papers will take place on September 17, and candidates can withdraw their nominations until September 19. The entire process is to be completed by October 11. The Model Code of Conduct has already come into force in the districts falling under the Nagaon parliamentary constituency.
The constituency, comprising eight Assembly segments — five in Nagaon district and three in Morigaon — has an electorate of approximately 19.07 lakh voters spread across 1,339 polling stations. Political activity has intensified in recent days, with parties accelerating candidate selection and organisational preparations.
In a significant development on Tuesday, former Nagaon District Commissioner Debasish Sharma, a senior IAS officer who took voluntary retirement after more than three decades in service, formally joined the BJP along with two senior journalists, Lenin Saurav Bora and Gunjan Kalita. The induction ceremony at the state BJP headquarters in Guwahati was attended by Assam BJP president Dilip Saikia, several Cabinet ministers and senior party leaders. Sharma’s entry has fuelled speculation that he could be considered for the BJP ticket, though party leaders have said discussions on candidature are ongoing and that a panel of aspirants is under review.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has struck a cautious note on the party’s prospects. Acknowledging that Nagaon is not a traditional BJP stronghold, he pointed out that the party had lost the seat by around 2.5 lakh votes in the previous Lok Sabha election. “There are 3.5 lakh minority people in the Nagaon constituency. The constituency is divided into two parts,” Sarma said, noting that the BJP had performed strongly in segments such as Jagiroad, Morigaon and Raha, while the Congress and its allies had dominated Samaguri, Dhing, Rupahihat and Lahorighat. The Chief Minister said the party’s immediate focus would be to retain its lead in the stronger segments while improving its vote share in the remaining areas. “We will not speak about win or loss as we have lost the last Lok Sabha polls with 2.5 lakh votes,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Trinamool Congress has formally entered the fray, naming Prof. Abdul Salam, vice-principal of Dhing College, as its candidate. Announcing the decision, Assam TMC president Sherman Ali Ahmed said Salam met the party’s criteria and had a strong record of social contribution. The TMC has indicated that its campaign will focus on issues such as riverbank erosion, land rights and rising agricultural costs, positioning itself as an alternative to both the BJP and Congress.
The AIUDF has also decided to field its own candidate, former All Assam Minorities Students’ Union leader Rejaul Karim Sarkar, rejecting calls for an alliance with the Congress. This has further complicated opposition unity and raised the prospect of a split in minority votes, which form a substantial portion of the electorate.
The Congress, which had held the seat through Bordoloi, is yet to finalise its nominee but has expressed confidence in retaining the constituency. Party leaders have been critical of Bordoloi’s switch and have begun internal consultations on a suitable candidate.
With the nomination deadline approaching, all major parties are intensifying ground-level mobilisation. The BJP has already held strategy meetings covering the eight Assembly segments, 25 mandals and over 2,300 booths, with an emphasis on strengthening its booth-level organisation. The multi-cornered nature of the contest, combined with the recent high-profile defections and the entry of new players, is expected to make the Nagaon bypoll one of the most closely watched electoral battles in Assam this year.
As political temperatures rise, the focus will now shift to candidate finalisation and the early phase of campaigning, with parties seeking to consolidate their traditional support bases while reaching out to undecided voters in a constituency known for its complex demographic and political dynamics.