Former Assam Bureaucrat Debasish Sharma And Two Journalists Join BJP Before Bypoll
Ex-bureaucrat and journalists join Assam BJP.
Former Nagaon District Commissioner Debashish Sharma, along with senior journalists Lenin Saurav Bora and Gunjan Kalita, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday at an event held at the party's headquarters in Guwahati. The move comes just weeks ahead of the Nagaon Lok Sabha by-election, scheduled for October 6, and has triggered widespread speculation over whether Sharma could be fielded as the party's candidate for the seat — a prospect that has dominated political conversation in the district in recent days. Sharma, a former Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, had earlier served as Deputy Commissioner of both Nagaon and Morigaon districts before taking voluntary retirement from government service just days before his political debut.
His departure from the civil service, following only a few months into his Nagaon posting, had already fuelled speculation of an imminent shift into electoral politics. Reports in the days preceding his formal joining had consistently named him as a likely BJP pick for the seat, citing his administrative record and visibility within the district as key assets for the party's campaign.
The by-election was necessitated after sitting MP Pradyut Bordoloi switched from the Congress to the BJP ahead of Assam's assembly elections earlier this year. Bordoloi subsequently contested and won the Dispur assembly seat, resulting in a vacancy in the Nagaon Lok Sabha constituency that has remained unfilled since. The seat's by-election is now emerging as one of the most closely watched contests in the state, given its significance both as a Congress stronghold in the past and as a test of the BJP's ability to consolidate its position in central Assam.
The joining ceremony in Guwahati was attended by Assam BJP president and MP Dilip Saikia, along with Cabinet Ministers Piyush Hazarika, Jayanta Malla Baruah and Kaushik Rai, Nagaon MLA Rupak Sharma, and several other senior party leaders. Speaking about Sharma's induction, Saikia highlighted his administrative experience as well as his long-standing association with Assam's social and cultural life, signalling the party's intent to position him as a credible and recognisable face for the upcoming contest. The simultaneous induction of two senior journalists, Bora and Kalita, is also being viewed as part of a broader effort by the BJP to expand its support base ahead of the polls by drawing in figures with public visibility and regional influence.
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The Election Commission of India announced the formal by-election schedule on Monday, with polling set for October 6 and vote counting scheduled for October 9. The last date for filing nominations is September 16, with scrutiny of nominations to take place on September 17 and the deadline for withdrawal of candidature set for September 19. The entire electoral process is expected to conclude by October 11.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, addressing reporters after a state cabinet meeting, acknowledged that the contest would not be an easy one for the BJP, noting that the party had trailed by roughly 2.5 lakh votes in Nagaon during the previous general election. He said the party's strategy would focus on retaining its strength in Assembly segments within the constituency where it had performed well in the past, while also pointing to the presence of an estimated 3.5 lakh minority voters in the constituency as a key factor shaping the contest.
Other political parties are also finalising their strategies for the seat. The Congress is reportedly considering fielding former MLA Sibamoni Bora, who represented the now-redrawn Batadraba constituency, while the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) is expected to nominate Rejaul Karim Sarkar. The Trinamool Congress, meanwhile, is likely to field sitting MLA Sherman Ali Ahmed, who currently represents the Mandia constituency in Barpeta district.
With multiple parties yet to make final candidate announcements, the coming days are expected to see intensified political activity across Nagaon as campaigning gathers pace ahead of the October vote, with Sharma's entry adding a new and closely scrutinised dimension to the BJP's electoral calculations in the constituency.
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