Nagaon bypoll 2024: BJP leads with 47,402 votes, AIUDF 2nd, Congress 3rd
Synopsis
BJP's Debashish Sharma is romping ahead in the Nagaon Lok Sabha bypoll with over 47,000 votes in initial trends — a striking turnaround for a seat Congress held in both 2019 and 2024. AIUDF's Badruddin Ajmal is a distant second, while Congress, the seat's previous holder, has slipped to third place with just 6,544 votes so far.
Key Takeaways
BJP candidate Debashish Sharma leads the Nagaon Lok Sabha bypoll with 47,402 votes in early counting trends on 9 October .
AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal is in second place with 21,107 votes , trailing Sharma by 26,295 votes .
Congress candidate Sibamoni Bora is a distant third with 6,544 votes .
The bypoll was triggered after Congress' Pradyut Bordoloi defected to BJP ahead of the state Assembly election.
Congress had won the Nagaon seat in both 2019 and 2024 general elections.
Counting is ongoing at two centres in Nagaon district ; final results are yet to be declared.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was holding a commanding lead in the Nagaon Lok Sabha by-election in Assam on Friday, 9 October, as vote counting progressed, with All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) chief Badruddin Ajmal running a distant second and the Indian National Congress trailing in third place, according to initial trends released by the Election Commission of India (ECI).
BJP candidate Debashish Sharma had accumulated 47,402 votes in the latest available trends, leading Ajmal by 26,295 votes and Congress candidate Sibamoni Bora by 40,858 votes. Ajmal had secured 21,107 votes, while Bora stood at 6,544 votes.
Counting in Progress
The counting process was underway at two designated centres in Nagaon district — Dawson Higher Secondary School and Government Boys' School — under tight security. The exercise began at 8 am with postal ballots, followed by votes recorded through electronic voting machines (EVMs). Each centre has 14 counting tables to facilitate the process, supervised by election officials throughout.
Why This Seat Went to a By-Election
The Nagaon parliamentary constituency fell vacant after Congress' Pradyut Bordoloi defected to the BJP ahead of the state Assembly election earlier this year, triggering the bypoll. Notably, Congress had won the seat in both the 2019 and 2024 general elections, making its current third-place position a significant reversal.
The Three-Cornered Contest
The by-election emerged as a tightly watched three-way battle among the BJP, Congress, and AIUDF. Ajmal, a former Member of Parliament from the Nagaon constituency, was seeking to reclaim the seat against stiff competition. The contest drew attention across Assam as a barometer of the state's shifting political alignments, particularly regarding minority voter consolidation and BJP's expanded ground presence.
What the Early Trends Suggest
While the initial figures indicate a decisive BJP advantage, election officials and observers caution that positions may shift as counting of EVM votes advances. The final result will be formally declared by election authorities only after all votes have been tallied. The outcome will determine which party holds this Lok Sabha seat in the months ahead, and could influence political dynamics in the region ahead of future electoral cycles.
Point of View
Behind even the AIUDF. It points to the continued erosion of Congress' ground organisation in Assam rather than a straightforward swing to the BJP. Ajmal's second-place position suggests minority votes are consolidating around the AIUDF rather than splitting toward Congress, which is the more telling story here. For the BJP, a win would underline that defection-triggered bypolls rarely punish the party that benefits from them — a pattern that has repeated across Hindi-belt and northeastern states alike.
NationPress
9 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is leading the Nagaon Lok Sabha bypoll in Assam?
BJP candidate Debashish Sharma is leading the Nagaon Lok Sabha bypoll with 47,402 votes in initial counting trends as of 9 October. He holds a lead of 26,295 votes over AIUDF's Badruddin Ajmal and 40,858 votes over Congress' Sibamoni Bora.
Why was the Nagaon bypoll held?
The Nagaon Lok Sabha seat fell vacant after sitting Congress MP Pradyut Bordoloi switched to the BJP ahead of the Assam Assembly election earlier this year, making a by-election necessary. Congress had won the constituency in both the 2019 and 2024 general elections.
Who are the main candidates in the Nagaon bypoll?
The three main candidates are BJP's Debashish Sharma, AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal, and Congress' Sibamoni Bora. Ajmal is a former Member of Parliament from the Nagaon constituency and was seeking to reclaim the seat.
Where is the counting being held and when did it begin?
Counting is taking place at two centres in Nagaon district — Dawson Higher Secondary School and Government Boys' School — and began at 8 am on 9 October with postal ballots, followed by EVM votes.
Is the Nagaon bypoll result final?
No, the figures available reflect only initial trends. Election officials note that candidate positions may change as counting progresses, and the final result will be formally declared only after all votes have been tallied.
