Nagaon bypoll: Assam Minister Pijush Hazarika targets Congress MP Rakibul Hussain
Synopsis
With AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal entering the Nagaon Lok Sabha bypoll at the last minute and the BJP's Pijush Hazarika publicly targeting Congress MP Rakibul Hussain, the 6 October contest has turned into a high-stakes three-cornered battle that could reshape the minority-vote arithmetic in central Assam.
Key Takeaways
Assam Minister Pijush Hazarika alleged at a Juria Dagao public meeting that Congress MP Rakibul Hussain 's influence in Dhubri had collapsed and he is seeking a return to Nagaon .
The Nagaon Lok Sabha bypoll is scheduled for 6 October , pitting BJP's Debashish Sharma against Congress's Sibamoni Bora and AIUDF's Badruddin Ajmal .
AIUDF confirmed Ajmal's candidature on Tuesday , just a day before the 16 September nomination deadline, turning the contest three-cornered.
The seat fell vacant after Congress MP Pradyut Bordoloi won election from another constituency.
Hazarika's claims about Hussain's alleged electoral plans and a seat-understanding with Durlav Chamua are campaign assertions and have not been independently established.
Assam Minister Pijush Hazarika on Thursday sharply escalated his campaign rhetoric at the Nagaon bypoll, alleging that Congress Lok Sabha MP Rakibul Hussain — currently representing Dhubri — is manoeuvring a political return to Nagaon after losing influence in his sitting constituency. Hazarika made the remarks at a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) joining ceremony and public meeting in Juria Dagao, adding fresh heat to what is now a three-cornered contest.
Hazarika's Attack on Hussain
Speaking before a crowd he claimed numbered approximately 30,000 people from the minority community, Hazarika declared that Hussain's political capital in Dhubri had evaporated. 'His balloon has burst in Dhubri,' the minister remarked, alleging that Hussain was now eyeing Nagaon as a fallback. These are campaign claims by Hazarika and have not been independently verified.
Hazarika further alleged that Hussain had previously pushed the Congress to field Durlav Chamua from Nagaon, with a reported understanding that Chamua would vacate the seat for Hussain in a subsequent Lok Sabha election. The claimed seat-sharing arrangement remains an unverified campaign assertion.
The Nagaon Contest
The Nagaon Lok Sabha bypoll is scheduled for 6 October. The seat fell vacant after sitting Congress MP Pradyut Bordoloi was elected from another constituency. The BJP has fielded Debashish Sharma, while the Congress has nominated Sibamoni Bora, a former Batadroba MLA. Hazarika cited the BJP gathering's attendance as a sign of momentum, predicting that Sharma would win the seat.
AIUDF Turns It Three-Cornered
The All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) on Tuesday named party chief and Binnakandi MLA Badruddin Ajmal as its candidate, transforming the Nagaon contest into a triangular fight. Ajmal's entry was confirmed just a day before the 16 September nomination deadline, ending weeks of speculation. The party had earlier indicated Rezaul Karim Sarkar could be the nominee before opting to deploy its supremo directly. Ajmal's candidature is widely seen as a bid to consolidate the minority vote, potentially complicating both the Congress and BJP's calculus.
Political Significance
This comes amid broader BJP efforts to consolidate its position in Assam ahead of the 2026 state assembly elections. The Nagaon bypoll is being watched as a barometer of community-level sentiment in central Assam. Notably, Rakibul Hussain is among the Congress's most prominent faces in the state, and any indication of his diminishing influence — even if contested — carries symbolic weight in the ongoing political narrative. Both sides are expected to intensify campaigning in the final stretch before polling day.
Point of View
Hazarika's pointed attack on Hussain rather than the actual Congress candidate reveals where the party sees the real political threat. The Congress, squeezed between a resurgent AIUDF and a disciplined BJP organisation, faces the risk of a split opposition vote cancelling out its own chances — a dynamic that has cost it seats across Assam before.
NationPress
18 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Nagaon Lok Sabha bypoll and when is it scheduled?
The Nagaon Lok Sabha bypoll is scheduled for 6 October and was necessitated after sitting Congress MP Pradyut Bordoloi was elected from another constituency. It is a three-cornered contest among the BJP, Congress, and AIUDF.
Who are the candidates in the Nagaon bypoll?
The BJP has fielded Debashish Sharma, the Congress has nominated former Batadroba MLA Sibamoni Bora, and the AIUDF has fielded its party chief and Binnakandi MLA Badruddin Ajmal, making it a triangular fight.
Why did Assam Minister Pijush Hazarika target Rakibul Hussain?
Hazarika alleged that Congress MP Rakibul Hussain, who represents Dhubri in the Lok Sabha, has lost influence in his constituency and is engineering a political return to Nagaon. These claims were made at a BJP campaign meeting and have not been independently verified.
Why did AIUDF field Badruddin Ajmal directly instead of its earlier nominee?
AIUDF had earlier indicated Rezaul Karim Sarkar as its potential candidate but opted at the last minute to field its supremo Badruddin Ajmal, just one day before the 16 September nomination deadline. The move is seen as an effort to maximise the party's electoral weight in a high-profile contest.
What is the political significance of the Nagaon bypoll?
Nagaon is being watched as a key indicator of community-level sentiment in central Assam and is viewed as a bellwether ahead of the 2026 state assembly elections. The three-cornered contest could significantly affect how the minority vote is split between the Congress and AIUDF.
