AIUDF alleges BJP rigged Nagaon LS bypoll; Ajmal was real winner, says Islam
Synopsis
AIUDF's Aminul Islam has alleged that the BJP deployed 16-20 agents per booth and fraudulently cast up to two lakh migrant Muslim votes to hand Devasish Sharma the Nagaon bypoll win — a claim with no independent verification, but one that lands on a 1,42,224-vote margin that the BJP will argue speaks for itself.
Key Takeaways
AIUDF leader Aminul Islam alleged on 16 October that the BJP rigged the Nagaon Lok Sabha bypoll held on 6 October .
Islam claimed between 1 lakh and 2 lakh votes of Muslims working outside Assam were fraudulently cast for the BJP.
BJP candidate Devasish Sharma won with 7,14,349 votes , defeating AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal (5,72,125 votes) by a margin of 1,42,224 votes .
Congress candidate Sibamoni Bora finished third with 1,29,492 votes .
The allegations have not been independently verified and no supporting evidence was provided.
The bypoll was triggered after former Congress MP Pradyut Bordoloi resigned and joined the BJP .
All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) leader Aminul Islam on Friday, 16 October 2026, alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) manipulated votes in the Nagaon Lok Sabha bypoll to engineer the victory of its candidate Devasish Sharma, claiming that AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal was the genuine choice of voters. Islam made the allegations at a thanksgiving rally in Samaguri, where he and Ajmal thanked supporters for their backing.
What Islam Alleged
According to Islam, BJP workers allegedly coordinated with independent agents to carry out fraudulent voting. He claimed that between 16 and 20 agents were deployed at a single polling station, and that votes were cast in the names of individuals who were employed outside Assam at the time of polling.
Islam further alleged that between one lakh and two lakh votes belonging to Muslims working outside the state were fraudulently cast to benefit the BJP candidate. 'People had elected Maulana Badruddin Ajmal as their MP, but the BJP forcibly ensured Devasish Sharma's victory,' Islam reportedly said.
The Official Bypoll Result
The Nagaon Lok Sabha bypoll, held on 6 October, ended in a decisive win for the BJP. Devasish Sharma secured 7,14,349 votes, defeating Badruddin Ajmal — who polled 5,72,125 votes — by a margin of 1,42,224 votes. Congress candidate Sibamoni Bora finished third with 1,29,492 votes.
The by-election was necessitated after former Congress MP Pradyut Bordoloi resigned from the party and subsequently joined the BJP.
Allegations Remain Unverified
It is important to note that the allegations of electoral manipulation have not been independently verified, and no supporting evidence was provided alongside the statements. The claims have not been corroborated by the Election Commission of India or any independent body.
This comes amid sustained political sparring between the AIUDF and the BJP over electoral outcomes in Assam, a state where allegations of voter fraud and demographic politics have long been flashpoints between rival parties.
Broader Political Context
Assam has repeatedly been at the centre of contentious electoral disputes, particularly concerning voter rolls and the political representation of minority communities. The AIUDF, which draws its primary support base from Bengali-speaking Muslims in the state, has previously raised concerns about what it describes as systematic disenfranchisement. Notably, a margin of over 1.42 lakh votes — if the figures are accepted at face value — would represent a substantial swing that critics argue makes the fraud allegation harder to substantiate without concrete evidence.
The BJP has not publicly responded to Islam's specific allegations as of this report. How the Election Commission responds — if at all — will be closely watched in the coming days.
Point of View
And AIUDF has not cleared it — no documentary evidence, no formal complaint to the Election Commission, and no third-party corroboration were offered alongside the claims. What the episode does reveal is the deepening entrenchment of identity politics in Assam, where electoral outcomes are increasingly interpreted through the lens of communal arithmetic rather than candidate performance. The BJP's ability to win Nagaon — a seat once considered an AIUDF stronghold — by such a commanding margin warrants scrutiny of the AIUDF's own organisational decline, a story that tends to get buried under fraud allegations. The real accountability question may not be about rigging, but about why Ajmal's support base has visibly eroded.
NationPress
16 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did AIUDF allege about the Nagaon Lok Sabha bypoll?
AIUDF leader Aminul Islam alleged that BJP workers and independent agents engaged in fraudulent voting during the Nagaon Lok Sabha bypoll, including deploying 16 to 20 agents at single polling stations and casting between one lakh and two lakh votes in the names of Muslims working outside Assam. The allegations have not been independently verified and no supporting evidence was provided.
Who won the Nagaon Lok Sabha bypoll and by how much?
BJP candidate Devasish Sharma won the Nagaon Lok Sabha bypoll held on 6 October, securing 7,14,349 votes and defeating AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal by a margin of 1,42,224 votes. Congress candidate Sibamoni Bora finished third with 1,29,492 votes.
Why was the Nagaon Lok Sabha bypoll held?
The bypoll was necessitated after former Congress MP Pradyut Bordoloi resigned from the party and joined the BJP, vacating the Nagaon Lok Sabha seat.
Has the Election Commission responded to AIUDF's allegations?
As of this report, neither the Election Commission of India nor the BJP has publicly responded to AIUDF's specific allegations of electoral manipulation in the Nagaon bypoll.
Where did AIUDF make these allegations?
AIUDF leader Aminul Islam made the allegations at a thanksgiving rally in Samaguri, Assam, on 16 October, where he appeared alongside AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal to thank voters for their support during the bypoll.
