Guwahati: Congress candidate Sibamoni Bora visited Batadrava Than on September 17. This shrine marks the birthplace of Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardev. She sought blessings there shortly after filing nomination papers for the Nagaon Lok Sabha bypoll. The seat sits empty now. Former representative Pradyut Bordoloi left the post to join the Assam Legislative Assembly.
Bora expects a win. She told reporters, "people are the ultimate authority in a democracy." She vowed that her party would avoid playing politics with the historic site. Instead, she pointed to her history as a former legislator to drum up support. She reminded voters she pushed the Assam Legislative Assembly to label floods a national issue.
The candidate also leaned into her track record on women's empowerment. She claimed her previous work as an MLA directly addressed the struggles of local women. Meanwhile, she pivoted to attack the opposition. Bora alleged the BJP puts minority communities under heavy pressure. She claimed this intimidation tactics forced some members to join the ruling party. She also accused the BJP of hypocrisy. Despite past hostility toward minorities, she says the party now begs for their votes to secure the Nagaon seat. Candidates across the board are now scrambling to reach voters as the campaign heats up.
Updated at 18th September 2026 at 9:49pm
The race for the Nagaon seat shifted on September 18 after the Assam Trinamool Congress yanked its candidate from the ballot. State convenor and MLA Sherman Ali Ahmed pulled the plug on educationist Abdul Salam's campaign to protest the Election Commission freezing the party name and flower and grass symbol due to internal factional infighting. The party leadership labeled the move unjust and an insult to Assam voters.
The commission issued an interim ruling on Friday, forcing the Mamata Banerjee faction to run under the name Mamata All India Trinamool Congress using a football player symbol, while a rival group received the name Democratic Trinamool Congress and an envelope symbol. Ahmed accused the poll panel of strangling democracy with the decision. The by-election is set for October 6.
Updated at 19th September 2026 at 1:48am
Election officials cleared 18 out of 25 nomination papers during scrutiny on September 18. The list of valid contenders includes BJP nominee Devasish Sharma and AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal, alongside Congress candidate Sibamoni Bora. The final candidate tally remains subject to change until the withdrawal deadline this Saturday.
State convenor Sherman Ali Ahmed confirmed the party is officially bowing out of the October 6 contest. While the EC assigned Mamata Banerjee’s faction the name Mamata All India Trinamool Congress and a football player symbol, Ahmed maintained the party refuses to participate under these conditions. The commission will reveal the final list of candidates following the weekend withdrawal window. Votes will be tallied on October 9.
Updated at 19th September 2026 at 1:49pm
Despite the party's formal decision to pull out of the race, candidate Abdul Salam has dug in his heels. Administrative officials requested that Salam select a new election symbol after the commission withdrew recognition of the Trinamool Congress name, but the educationist refused. He continues to maintain his position as a TMC candidate, rejecting the shift to the 'Football Player' symbol assigned to the Mamata Banerjee faction.
Updated at 19th September 2026 at 9:50pm
The candidate list is finally set. Election officials confirmed 15 contenders remain for the October 6 bypoll after Saturday's withdrawal deadline passed. Three candidates pulled their names from the ballot, including TMC nominee Abdul Salam, Karimullah Sheikh of the Navarang Congress Party, and independent runner Purushottam Behera.
Key names still on the ticket include BJP's Debashis Sharma, a former IAS officer, and AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal, who previously served three terms representing the Dhubri constituency in the Lok Sabha.
Updated at 20th September 2026 at 1:48pm
AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal took aim at his opponents while campaigning in the Chamguri constituency on September 19. Speaking to the press at Magurmari, Ajmal dismissed Congress candidate Sibamoni Bora, declaring she has no standing in the district.
Ajmal also turned his fire on the ruling party. He slammed minority voters for showing up at BJP rallies, pointing to recent eviction drives and the use of bulldozers. He told those in attendance they should be ashamed of supporting the BJP after such actions.
Updated at 20th September 2026 at 5:48pm
Congress heavy hitter Gaurav Gogoi stepped into the fray on September 20. Speaking at a rally in Dhing to back Sibamoni Bora, Gogoi blasted AIUDF boss Badruddin Ajmal, calling him "Himanta Biswa Sarma’s 108." The dig links the AIUDF leader to the state’s emergency ambulance service, suggesting he acts as a rescue vehicle for the Chief Minister’s political interests. Gogoi claimed the AIUDF entered the race specifically to help the BJP by shaving off votes from the Congress.
Gogoi pushed back on the ruling party’s outreach in minority strongholds, dismissing their efforts as hollow. He pointed to previous assembly elections where the BJP hammered minority-dominated seats with aggressive campaigning but walked away empty-handed. He warned the ruling party faces a similar rejection in the Nagaon bypoll, framing the contest as a three-way brawl between Congress, the BJP, and the AIUDF.
Updated at 20th September 2026 at 10:49pm
Badruddin Ajmal expanded his ground game on September 19, hitting campaign meetings in Lorimukh and Singimari alongside his stop at Magurmari. He issued a firm directive to his party workers to ramp up their voter outreach across the district.
The Congress campaign hit a snag on September 20 during a rally in Dhupguri. Protesters swarmed the event and shouted "Go Back" slogans at candidate Sibamoni Bora, Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi, and Dhubri MP Rakibul Hussain. The hecklers claimed Bora failed to do enough for the old Batadroba constituency during her time as an MLA and warned that the party would face similar heat throughout the region.
Updated at 21st September 2026 at 9:50am
Raijor Dal president and MLA Akhil Gogoi is pushing for a truce between the Congress and the AIUDF. He warned in Guwahati that the two parties are effectively handing the election to the BJP by splitting the minority vote. Gogoi argued that without a tactical understanding, the opposition risks losing the seat they previously held.
Updated at 21st September 2026 at 1:50pm
The campaign took a sharp turn into religious rhetoric during a rally in Morigaon. BJP MLA Ramakanta Deuri told voters, "Allah will not forgive you if you do not vote for the BJP." Deuri, who warned that he will hold his legislative seat until 2031, pressured attendees to commit to the party rather than promise support they did not intend to keep.
Congress leaders also faced a hostile reception during their own event in Dhing. A group of protesters interrupted the rally with shouts of "Go Back" directed at Sibamoni Bora, Gaurav Gogoi, and Rakibul Hussain. The hecklers claimed Bora neglected the Batadroba constituency during her time in office and threatened that the party would face similar opposition throughout the district.
Gaurav Gogoi further ramped up his rhetoric against the ruling party, blasting the BJP for alleged financial scandals involving the Ram Temple and for granting party tickets to individuals accused of cow theft. He framed the upcoming vote as a stand against the BJP's communal political agenda.
Updated at 21st September 2026 at 10:04pm
The Congress party is flooding the field with heavy artillery, filing a list of 40 star campaigners with the Election Commission on September 16. The roster includes national figures like former Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel, Pawan Khera, Supriya Shrinate, Kanhaiya Kumar, and Alka Lamba, alongside a deep bench of Assam-based veterans.
Campaign tensions hit a breaking point on September 21. Gaurav Gogoi marched to the Nagaon Sadar Police Station to lodge a formal complaint following an alleged attack on Congress candidate vehicles in the Samaguri constituency. Gogoi accused the BJP of leaning on hired goons to intimidate voters and rig the process, claiming the ruling party is incapable of winning without violence or an assist from a biased commission.
Updated at 21st September 2026 at 10:17pm
Tensions hit a fever pitch on September 21 when a Congress convoy, including Gaurav Gogoi and former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, faced a stone-throwing ambush in the Barma area of Samaguri. Masked assailants hurled projectiles at the vehicles, injuring AICC secretary Manoj Chauhan in the ribs. Despite prior warnings to local police, the situation spun out of control, forcing party leadership to file formal complaints while accusing the Election Commission of acting as a mute spectator to violence in a BJP-ruled state. Reports also confirmed that journalists covering the incident were caught in the crossfire.
Amid the chaos, political maneuvering continues behind the scenes. Raijor Dal president Akhil Gogoi publicly urged the Congress and AIUDF to forge a tactical understanding, warning that the current rift between the two parties is handing the election to the BJP on a silver platter. He emphasized that splitting the significant minority vote will only ensure an opposition defeat on October 6.
Updated at 22nd September 2026 at 1:45am
Gaurav Gogoi claimed the attackers hurled bottles along with stones during the ambush. He specifically identified Lorigamukh as a site where masked individuals pelted the vehicles from a distance. The Congress leader questioned why the authorities allowed the situation to deteriorate despite his team requesting police intervention well before they reached the area.
Gogoi also hit out at the ruling party regarding the security of candidate Sibamoni Bora. He demanded to know what specific measures the Election Commission and state government would take to protect her, noting that she currently lacks assigned security protection. The Congress camp maintains that the ruling party is actively recruiting criminals to influence the electoral outcome through intimidation.
Updated at 22nd September 2026 at 2:18am
Congress general secretary K C Venugopal officially filed the party's list of 40 star campaigners with the Election Commission on September 16. The roster includes a mix of national heavyweights and regional veterans, featuring Wazed Ali Choudhury, Debabrata Saikia, Ripun Bora, Paban Singh Ghatowar, Imran Pratapgarhi, Srinivas BV, Sudip Roy Barman, and a wide bench of Assam-based leaders like Aminul Islam, Mira Barthakur Goswami, and Kaushik Kashyap Kalita.
Gaurav Gogoi escalated his attacks against the ruling party during a rally in Dhing, hitting the BJP over missing funds intended for the Ram Temple. He claimed the party grants tickets to individuals facing criminal allegations related to cow theft while handing them ministerial portfolios.
Violence erupted on September 21 in the Barma area of Samaguri as masked assailants targeted the Congress convoy with stones and bottles. The ambush hit the vehicle carrying Gogoi and Bhupesh Baghel, leaving AICC secretary Manoj Chauhan with rib injuries. Witnesses reported that journalists covering the event were also roughed up during the clash.
Updated at 22nd September 2026 at 9:47am
The Congress submitted its official roster of 40 star campaigners to the Election Commission on September 16, citing Section 77(1) of the Representation of the People Act. The list features a mix of national faces like Pawan Khera, Supriya Shrinate, Kanhaiya Kumar, and Alka Lamba, alongside regional stalwarts including Debabrata Saikia, Ripun Bora, and several Assam-based party figures.
Assam Assembly Deputy Leader of Opposition Joy Prakash Das lashed out at the state home department following the September 21 attack in Samaguri. Das demanded answers on why local police and the Nagaon superintendent failed to implement preventive measures despite previous clashes in the area, and questioned why candidate Sibamoni Bora lacked adequate security despite clear threats to her safety.
Police reportedly deployed personnel to the scene at Barama Bazar to disperse the crowd, with some reports indicating officers resorted to a lathi charge to break up the confrontation. A formal police complaint has been filed at the Nagaon Sadar Police Station, naming those suspected of orchestrating the violence.
Updated at 22nd September 2026 at 1:50pm
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma fired back at Congress allegations regarding the September 21 violence. He claimed the chaos in the Samaguri constituency stemmed from internal fighting between rival Congress factions rather than external aggression. Sarma pointed to the constituency's political math, noting that Congress command over the minority-heavy district is overwhelming compared to the BJP presence, and urged party leaders to control their own house instead of pointing fingers at the ruling party.
Updated at 22nd September 2026 at 5:50pm
The violence in Samaguri claimed more than just campaign vehicles. Local journalists covering the clash between political factions reported being assaulted by police and CRPF personnel. The abuse triggered immediate protests and a road blockade by media workers from Samaguri and Rupohihat. The Kaliabor Sub-Divisional Police Officer eventually issued an apology to a local satellite channel reporter targeted during the chaos.
Reports indicate the situation spiraled after police resorted to a lathi charge to clear the area, hitting members of the press in the process. While official police complaints are moving through the Nagaon Sadar station, local media groups are demanding accountability for the force used against reporters working on the front lines.
Updated at 23rd September 2026 at 1:52am
A separate flashpoint erupted on September 22 in Morigaon. BJP workers blocked Congress MLA Asif Nazar’s vehicle at Garoimari and shouted slogans to drive him out. The Morigaon Senior Superintendent of Police had to intervene to escort Nazar away from the mob.
Campaign optics took a strange turn at a Congress meeting in Kathani under Lahorighat. Senior leadership, including Gaurav Gogoi and Sibamoni Bora, attended the event where the national anthem was reportedly performed out of tune.
Official records from the Election Commission show the full field of contenders. Aside from the heavy hitters, the ballot includes Bornali Sharma of the Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist), Hafiz Burhanuddin of the National Road Map Party, Inamul Huda of the RCPI (RB), and nine independents: Ayush Kumar Singh, Farooq Khan, Saifur Rahman, Mustakim Alam, Amiran Hussain, Manirul Hussain, Sabina Yasmin, Nazrul Islam, and Yunus Tamuli.
Updated at 23rd September 2026 at 5:46am
AICC secretary in-charge Bhupesh Baghel doubled down on claims that the Samaguri attack was a calculated intimidation tactic by BJP loyalists. Baghel alleged that an individual involved in the violence, who was reportedly part of Wajid Ali Choudhury's security detail, was picked up by police but walked free shortly after. Baghel further challenged the Chief Minister's claims of internal Congress fighting, pointing to video footage he says captures assailants brandishing BJP flags during the assault.
Congress brass, led by Jairam Ramesh, is now demanding the Election Commission intervene with a formal inquiry into the Nagaon turmoil. The party wants full transparency on FIRs and investigative reports, while pushing for federal-level security for all candidates and media members through the remainder of the race. They maintain the violence is a strategic play to spook voters and depress turnout.
The campaign trail took another bizarre turn during a Congress meet in Kathani. Local leaders were left red-faced when the national anthem was butchered by a discordant performance, a moment that quickly drew ridicule from political opponents.
Comments