Nagaon bypoll: BJP wins by 1.4 lakh votes, Assam CM credits Modi
Synopsis
The BJP has reclaimed Nagaon — a Lok Sabha seat it lost in both 2019 and 2024 — by a margin of over 1.4 lakh votes, with Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma claiming the party won votes from religious minority communities in a constituency where that has historically been rare. The result is a double blow for the Congress and a significant signal ahead of future state polls.
Key Takeaways
BJP candidate Debasish Sharma won the Nagaon Lok Sabha by-election with 7,11,912 votes , a margin of 1,40,257 votes .
AIUDF 's Badruddin Ajmal finished second with 5,71,637 votes ; Congress 's Sibamoni Bora came third with 1,29,136 votes .
The BJP reclaimed Nagaon after losing it to the Congress in both the 2019 and 2024 general elections.
Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma attributed the win to PM Modi 's leadership and claimed the BJP polled close to 50 per cent of the popular vote.
Sarma claimed the BJP also attracted votes from religious minority communities in a predominantly minority constituency.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday, 9 October 2026, attributed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s commanding victory in the Nagaon Lok Sabha by-election to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, saying the result reflected growing public support for the Prime Minister across Assam. The win is particularly significant because Nagaon is a constituency the BJP had lost to the Congress in both the 2019 and 2024 general elections.
The Margin and the Numbers
BJP candidate Debasish Sharma secured a decisive win, polling 7,11,912 votes against All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) candidate Badruddin Ajmal's 5,71,637 votes — a winning margin of 1,40,257 votes, according to Election Commission of India (ECI) data. Congress candidate Sibamoni Bora finished a distant third with 1,29,136 votes, a result that underlines the party's weakening grip on a seat it had held through two consecutive parliamentary elections.
What Sarma Said
Addressing reporters in Guwahati after results were declared, Sarma framed the outcome as a personal endorsement of the Prime Minister. 'This victory is a tribute to his leadership. This victory reflects his affection for Assam and the growing public support for Prime Minister Narendra Modi,' the Chief Minister said.
Sarma also highlighted the demographic composition of the constituency, noting that Nagaon has a substantial religious minority population. He claimed the BJP had not only consolidated its traditional support base but had also drawn votes from minority communities — an assertion that, if borne out by booth-level data, would mark a meaningful shift in the party's electoral coalition in the region.
Development Politics and Modi's 25 Years
The Chief Minister attributed the result to the BJP's development-driven politics under Modi, and noted that the victory came shortly after the party marked 25 years of what Sarma described as the Prime Minister's uninterrupted public service. Sarma added that the BJP had secured close to 50 per cent of the popular vote — a threshold that signals broad-based support rather than a fragmented mandate.
What It Means Politically
The BJP's recovery of Nagaon is a setback for the Congress, which had retained the seat across two successive Lok Sabha cycles. The by-election result signals that the BJP's consolidation in Assam extends beyond its strongholds, reaching constituencies with large minority electorates where its performance had historically been more constrained. Sarma closed his remarks with a pledge of continued governance commitment: 'We bow our heads with the greatest respect to the people of Assam, and we promise once again that we will work day and night, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, for the welfare of our people,' he said.
With Nagaon now back in the BJP fold, all eyes will be on whether this by-election result signals a broader realignment ahead of the next state assembly election in Assam.
Point of View
Losing Nagaon for the third time in four years — having held it twice — deepens questions about the party's ground organisation in the Northeast. The AIUDF's second-place finish suggests minority vote consolidation did not fully materialise against the BJP, which could reshape coalition arithmetic in the state ahead of the next assembly cycle.
NationPress
10 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Nagaon Lok Sabha by-election 2026?
BJP candidate Debasish Sharma won the Nagaon Lok Sabha by-election with 7,11,912 votes, defeating AIUDF's Badruddin Ajmal by a margin of 1,40,257 votes. Congress candidate Sibamoni Bora finished third with 1,29,136 votes.
What is the significance of the Nagaon bypoll result?
The BJP's win in Nagaon is significant because the party had lost the seat to the Congress in both the 2019 and 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Reclaiming it by a large margin signals a strengthening of the BJP's position in Assam, including in constituencies with substantial religious minority populations.
Why did Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma credit PM Modi for the Nagaon win?
Sarma said the victory was a tribute to PM Modi's leadership and his affection for Assam. He also attributed the result to the BJP's development-focused politics under the Prime Minister, framing it as a reflection of growing public support for Modi in the state.
How did the Congress perform in the Nagaon by-election?
Congress candidate Sibamoni Bora finished a distant third with 1,29,136 votes, representing a significant decline for a party that had won Nagaon in the previous two general elections. The result deepens the Congress's challenges in retaining its Northeast constituencies.
What did Sarma say about minority votes in Nagaon?
Sarma claimed that the BJP secured votes from the religious minority community in Nagaon, which he described as a constituency consisting mainly of religious minorities. He said the party retained and improved its traditional vote base while also attracting minority support, though independent verification of this claim awaits detailed booth-level data.
