Nagaon bypoll: Himanta claims BJP gained significant minority votes, eyes over 1 lakh victory margin

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on October 9 claimed that the BJP was heading for a victory by a margin of more than one lakh votes in the Nagaon Lok Sabha bypoll, describing the result as a tribute to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership.

Speaking as counting was underway, Sarma said the BJP had registered an impressive performance in a constituency that the Congress had previously won by a margin of around 2.12 lakh votes.

“Today, the people of Assam have given them a stunning defeat,” Sarma said, referring to the Congress.

The chief minister claimed that the BJP had retained its traditional support base while also securing a significant number of votes from religious minorities.

“This victory is a tribute to the PM's leadership,” he said.

Sarma's remarks came as NDA candidate Devasish Sharma maintained a substantial lead in the bypoll. The final result was yet to be formally declared by the election authorities at the time of his statement.

Assam BJP president Dilip Saikia described the party's victory in the Nagaon Lok Sabha bypoll as significant and historic, attributing the mandate to development and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas”.

Reacting to the outcome, Saikia said the people of Nagaon had voted for development and thanked voters across the constituency for participating in the election.

“The mandate received by the BJP is a sign of development and reflects Prime Minister Narendra Modi's mantra of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas,” Saikia said.

He claimed that voters had voluntarily exercised their franchise without pressure and recognised the BJP as the party capable of addressing their concerns relating to development, security and other public issues.

The state BJP chief also targeted the Congress, alleging that several problems in the constituency had emerged during decades of Congress rule.

Saikia's remarks came after NDA candidate Devasish Sharma registered a substantial lead in the Nagaon bypoll. The BJP leadership has projected the outcome as an endorsement of its development agenda, while the Congress has questioned the circumstances surrounding the election and alleged political collusion between the BJP and the AIUDF.

The Congress has also sought scrutiny of the Election Commission's handling of complaints raised during the campaign.