Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has described the upcoming Nagaon Lok Sabha bypoll as a crucial political test for the BJP, claiming that a victory in the constituency could have a major impact on the party’s prospects in the next Assembly election.
Sarma said the BJP has noticed a shift in voter sentiment in its favour in recent weeks, although he admitted that Nagaon remains a challenging seat for the party because of its long-standing Congress base.
“If the BJP wins the Nagaon bypoll, then in the next Assembly election we will win 126 seats,” Sarma said, highlighting the importance of the October 6 bypoll.
At the same time, the Chief Minister cautioned that Nagaon cannot be treated as a conventional BJP stronghold. He noted that the constituency has traditionally supported the Congress and said the recent change in voter preference would have to be converted into votes on polling day.
“We have seen in the last one month that people are inclining towards BJP. But this is not a traditional BJP seat; it has always been Congress,” Sarma said.
The BJP has nominated former IAS officer and former Nagaon Deputy Commissioner Devasish Sharma, while the Congress has fielded former Batadroba MLA Sibamoni Bora.
The bypoll has gained significance as the Nagaon Lok Sabha constituency was won by the Congress in both the 2019 and 2024 general elections. The seat became vacant following the resignation of Congress MP Pradyut Bordoloi, who later joined the BJP and contested the Dispur Assembly constituency.
For the BJP, a win would be viewed as evidence of its expanding political influence in areas that have traditionally been considered Congress strongholds. The Congress, meanwhile, would look to retain the seat to reinforce its support base in central Assam.
With the two parties attaching considerable importance to the contest, the October 6 result is expected to be closely watched as a possible indicator of the political mood in Assam ahead of the next Assembly election.
