Guwahati, Sep 14 (IANS) Assam Congress president and Jorhat Lok Sabha MP Gaurav Gogoi on Monday said that the upcoming Nagaon Lok Sabha by-election would essentially be a direct political contest between the BJP and the Congress and described the poll as a test of whether the ruling party’s alleged “politics of fear” would prevail or voters would demonstrate the courage to oppose it.
Speaking to IANS, Gogoi said, “The main political contest will be between the BJP and the Congress. This election will be an examination of whether the BJP’s politics of fear wins, or whether the courage among people against the BJP ultimately translates into a victory for the people.” He said the Congress was confident that voters in Nagaon would reject what he described as an atmosphere of fear and intimidation.
“Our full belief is that the people of Nagaon will uproot the atmosphere of fear that the BJP is creating. Today, people are demanding their rights from the government as citizens. They are demanding respect as citizens. People will reject this politics of fear and intimidation,” Gogoi said.
The bypoll has assumed significance for both the BJP and the Congress after the constituency was vacated by former Congress MP Pradyut Bordoloi. A two-time Congress MP from Nagaon, Bordoloi resigned from the party and the Lok Sabha earlier this year before joining the BJP ahead of the Assam Assembly elections.
He subsequently contested from Dispur on a BJP ticket and won, leaving the Nagaon parliamentary seat vacant.
The BJP has now fielded former Nagaon Deputy Commissioner and IAS officer Devasish Sharma for the bypoll. Sharma took voluntary retirement from government service on September 3, joined the BJP on September 8 and was named the party’s candidate on September 11, within days of leaving the bureaucracy. His candidature has become another major flashpoint in the campaign.
The Congress has questioned the timing of his retirement and political entry, pointing out that Sharma had served as Nagaon’s District Commissioner as well as District Election Officer before entering electoral politics.
Congress MP Rakibul Hussain has approached election authorities seeking scrutiny of decisions taken during Sharma’s tenure.
The BJP, however, has defended Sharma’s candidature, maintaining that there was nothing improper about a government officer entering politics after his voluntary retirement was accepted.
The Nagaon contest is particularly important for the Congress as the party seeks to retain a constituency it held in the 2019 and 2024 Lok Sabha elections under Bordoloi.
In the 2024 election, Bordoloi defeated BJP candidate Suresh Bora, while the AIUDF also polled a significant number of votes. The by-election will be held on October 6, with counting scheduled for October 9.
With the BJP seeking to convert Bordoloi’s switch and Sharma’s local administrative profile into electoral advantage, the Congress is attempting to turn the contest into a referendum on the BJP government’s style of politics.
For Gogoi, therefore, the Nagaon bypoll is more than a fight for a vacant Lok Sabha seat. He has framed it as a choice between what he calls the BJP’s “fear and intimidation” and the courage of voters to demand rights, dignity and accountability from those in power.
–IANS
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