Devasish Sharma, the BJP’s newly elected MP from Nagaon, has claimed that AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal’s communal campaign may have worked in his favour during the recent Lok Sabha by-election in Assam. Sharma said voters did not accept Ajmal’s approach to seeking electoral support along communal lines.
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However, Sharma stopped short of saying that Ajmal directly helped him win. Instead, he pointed to his longstanding relationships with voters, his association with cancer patients and survivors, and the BJP’s leadership as important factors behind his victory.
The remarks have added a fresh political dimension to the Nagaon result, where the BJP defeated the AIUDF chief in a closely watched contest over voter support in a constituency with a substantial Muslim population.
Devasish Sharma Questions Ajmal’s Campaign Strategy
Speaking in an interview with India Today NE Executive Editor Sunil Borah, Sharma said Ajmal’s campaign approach may have influenced the outcome. He argued that voters did not accept appeals that sought support on communal grounds.
“I don’t know whether Ajmal helped me or not, as he was contesting the election against me. But it helped me in the results because Ajmal approached voters in a communal manner with the agenda of getting votes, and it was never acceptable,” Sharma said.
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Sharma’s statement reflects his interpretation of the campaign. However, it does not independently establish that Ajmal’s strategy determined the result. Voters’ choices can reflect several factors, including candidate outreach, party organisation, local concerns and broader political preferences.
He also predicted that the AIUDF would eventually disappear from Assam’s political landscape, comparing its future to that of the Congress. The remark signals his confidence in the BJP’s electoral position, although the party’s future standing will depend on subsequent elections and voter responses.
Nagaon Bypoll Delivers a Major BJP Victory
The by-election marked a significant gain for the BJP, which wrested the Nagaon Lok Sabha seat from the Congress. Sharma defeated Ajmal by 1,42,224 votes, according to results reported by The New Indian Express on October 9.
The New Indian Express
The bypoll followed the resignation of former Congress MP Pradyut Bordoloi, who left the party and subsequently won the Dispur Assembly seat as a BJP candidate. His departure created the vacancy that led to the Nagaon parliamentary contest.
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Moreover, the constituency has become an important battleground in Assam’s changing political landscape. Its substantial Muslim electorate has traditionally made minority voting patterns a major factor in electoral calculations.
The BJP’s victory therefore carries significance beyond the defeat of a prominent opposition leader. It has also prompted questions about the extent to which the party can attract voters who have historically supported other political formations.
However, the result alone does not establish why individual voters chose Sharma over Ajmal or Congress candidate Sibamoni Bora.
Devasish Sharma Credits Voter Relationships
Sharma offered a different explanation for his electoral success when discussing his connection with voters. He said his engagement with local people over the previous four-and-a-half years had helped him build relationships that extended beyond party politics.
He specifically mentioned his association with cancer patients and people who had recovered from the disease. According to Sharma, these relationships helped him earn public affection and support during the election.
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Furthermore, he highlighted the support he received from minority voters. Sharma said their participation in backing him reflected a change from what he had experienced during earlier periods of political engagement.
His comments suggest that he views personal outreach as an important part of his campaign’s appeal. Nevertheless, his explanation remains his assessment of the result, rather than a comprehensive account of voter motivations across the constituency.
BJP Leadership Also Gets Credit
Sharma also credited the BJP’s political vision and the guidance of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for his victory.
The chief minister had played an important role in the BJP’s campaign in Nagaon. The party’s organisational strength and its efforts to broaden support among minority voters were also central themes in post-election assessments.
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Meanwhile, the result has triggered competing interpretations among Assam’s political parties. Congress leaders have raised allegations of an understanding between the BJP and the AIUDF, claims that remain political allegations rather than established findings.
The Times of India
These competing claims show how the Nagaon result could shape political debate in the state. While Sharma has focused on Ajmal’s campaign methods and his own voter relationships, opposition leaders have questioned the wider political circumstances surrounding the contest.
Devasish Sharma’s Victory Raises Fresh Questions
Sharma’s remarks have placed communal campaigning, minority voter support and local outreach at the centre of the discussion following the Nagaon bypoll.
His criticism of Ajmal may strengthen the BJP’s argument that voters respond more positively to its campaign than to appeals based on community identity. However, that interpretation will require further electoral evidence before it can be treated as a broader trend across Assam.
At the same time, Sharma’s emphasis on personal relationships highlights the importance candidates place on sustained engagement with constituents. His account of working with cancer patients and survivors offers another explanation for the support he says he received.
Overall, the Nagaon result represents a setback for Ajmal and a major opportunity for the BJP. Whether the outcome signals a lasting shift in voter preferences or reflects the particular dynamics of this by-election will become clearer in future contests.