BJP wrests Assam’s Nagaon Lok Sabha seat after seven years
The BJP won the Nagaon Lok Sabha bypoll in Assam, marking a significant shift in a constituency with a large Muslim population. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma credited the victory to the party's development agenda and outreach to minority voters.
Why it matters
The result challenges traditional political narratives regarding the BJP's support base among religious minorities in India.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won the Nagaon Lok Sabha constituency in central Assam after seven years, with its candidate Devasish Sharma bagging almost 50% of the votes polled on October 6.
The underlying narrative of the BJP’s bypoll victory on Friday (October 9, 2026) was its inroads into areas dominated by Muslims, mostly of Bengal origin, who became a majority in the constituency after the 2023 delimitation.
Bypoll results highlights: BJP-NDA’s victory in bypolls shows people have ‘deep-rooted connect’ with alliance, says PM Modi
Mr. Sharma, a former bureaucrat, polled 7,13,662 votes, which was 1,41,916 more than his nearest rival and chief of the minority-based All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) Mohammed Badruddin Ajmal. Congress candidate Sibamoni Bora, a former MLA, finished a distant third with 1,29,363 votes.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in