The October 6 Nagaon Lok Sabha bypoll in Assam will see BJP’s former IAS officer Devasish Sharma take on former Congress MLA Sibamoni Bora, bringing two candidates with administrative backgrounds into a politically significant contest triggered by Pradyut Bordoloi’s resignation.
The Nagaon Lok Sabha by-election has emerged as a contest between two former bureaucrats with contrasting political journeys, as the Congress has chosen former Batadroba MLA Sibamoni Bora to challenge BJP nominee Devasish Sharma, a former IAS officer and former Nagaon Deputy Commissioner.
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The October 6 election will test the Congress’ ability to retain a parliamentary seat it won in 2019 and 2024. It will also allow the BJP to turn former Congress MP Pradyut Bordoloi’s defection into a major electoral gain.
Sibamoni Bora’s 2021 electoral breakthrough
Bora entered electoral politics after working as a Block Development Officer. She made her electoral debut in the 2021 Assam Assembly elections and quickly established herself as one of Congress’ prominent winners.
She contested from Batadroba and defeated sitting BJP MLA and actor-turned-politician Angoorlata Deka by 32,820 votes.
Bora received 84,278 votes and secured nearly 60 per cent of the vote. Her victory strengthened the Congress position in a constituency that had previously elected a BJP representative.
Her political credentials also extend beyond her own electoral record. Bora is the daughter of former Batadroba MLA Kiran Bora. She is also the daughter-in-law of Golap Borbora, Assam’s first non-Congress Chief Minister.
That family background has given Bora an established political network. Her 2021 victory, however, showed that she could convert that political legacy into direct electoral support.
Delimitation changes the political landscape
Bora’s return to electoral politics comes after significant changes to the constituency.
The 2023 delimitation exercise abolished the Batadroba Assembly constituency. The area was subsequently incorporated into the Nagaon-Batadraba constituency.
The change has altered the political and geographical framework in which Bora will now contest. Her earlier electoral performance, therefore, comes from a different constituency structure.
The Nagaon Lok Sabha bypoll will also place her in a parliamentary contest rather than the Assembly election she fought in 2021.
BJP banks on former IAS officer
The BJP has nominated Devasish Sharma, a former IAS officer who served as Nagaon Deputy Commissioner before taking voluntary retirement from government service and entering politics.
Sharma’s administrative experience gives him familiarity with the district’s local landscape. His background could also help him connect with voters, officials and political networks familiar with his tenure as Deputy Commissioner.
His candidature highlights the BJP’s focus on governance credentials and administrative experience as part of its electoral strategy.
The contest consequently brings two candidates with bureaucratic backgrounds into direct political competition. Their routes into electoral politics, however, differ sharply.
Bora built her political profile through an Assembly election victory. Sharma moved from the civil service into active politics after serving as the district’s top administrative officer.
Why the Nagaon bypoll matters
The by-election became necessary after Congress MP Pradyut Bordoloi resigned from the Nagaon Lok Sabha seat and joined the BJP ahead of the 2026 Assam Assembly elections.
Bordoloi had won the Nagaon parliamentary seat in 2019. He later contested the Dispur Assembly constituency and won the seat.
His departure has added a broader political dimension to the bypoll. The election will now test whether Congress can retain its hold over Nagaon despite the exit of its former MP.
For the Congress, a victory would provide an important political boost. The party would retain a Lok Sabha seat it won in both 2019 and 2024.
For the BJP, a win would demonstrate its growing electoral strength in Assam. It would also give the party a significant parliamentary gain after Bordoloi’s move from Congress.
Polling and counting dates
The Nagaon Lok Sabha by-election will take place on October 6.
The Election Commission has scheduled counting for October 9.
The result will determine whether Congress can hold the Nagaon seat or whether the BJP can convert the political shift triggered by Bordoloi’s defection into an electoral victory. (With inputs from IANS)
