Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday sharpened his attack on the Indian National Congress while campaigning for the Nagaon Lok Sabha bypoll, scheduled for 6 October, asserting that citizens are now openly questioning why government jobs required monetary transactions during the Congress-led administration in the state.

Sarma's Core Campaign Charge

Addressing reporters in Guwahati, Sarma drew a direct contrast between the current Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government's recruitment approach and what he characterised as a transactional system under the previous Congress dispensation. “Now people are asking that if during the time of Himanta Biswa Sarma, people are getting jobs without any money, then why did this not happen during the Congress regime?” he said.

The Chief Minister has made the government’s ongoing recruitment drive a centrepiece of the BJP campaign in Nagaon, positioning it as evidence of a transformed governance culture in Assam.

Claim Over Congress Outreach in Minority Areas

Sarma also alleged that Congress leaders were encountering hostile responses while canvassing in minority-dominated pockets of the constituency. “People are chasing Congress leaders when they are going to the minority areas. This I have never seen,” he claimed. The remarks, if accurate, would signal a significant erosion of Congress’s traditional support base in parts of the Nagaon seat — though the claim has not been independently verified.

The Bypoll Context

The Nagaon Lok Sabha seat fell vacant after former Congress MP Pradyut Bordoloi resigned and subsequently joined the BJP, triggering the bypoll. The BJP-led alliance has fielded former bureaucrat Devashish Sharma, while Congress has nominated Sibamoni Bora. All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) chief Badruddin Ajmal is also in the fray, making this a multi-cornered contest with implications for community-based political alignments across the constituency.

Campaign Friction and Allegations

The run-up to polling has not been without friction. Congress leaders earlier alleged that their convoy was attacked while campaigning in Samaguri. Sarma, however, attributed the incident to internal differences within the Congress itself, dismissing the allegation. The rival accounts have added a layer of political tension to an already competitive campaign.

Sarma has been extensively crisscrossing the constituency, addressing rallies in Raha and Samaguri, among other locations. Employment, development, governance quality, and the political representation of different communities have emerged as the dominant themes as polling day approaches.

What Comes Next

With 6 October polling fast approaching, the result in Nagaon will be closely watched as a barometer of voter sentiment in Assam’s politically diverse central belt. A BJP win would consolidate the party’s narrative around clean governance and job creation, while a Congress recovery could signal renewed opposition momentum in the state.