Guwahati, Sep 16 (PTI): BJP’s Debashis Sharma, Congress’ Sibamoni Bora and AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal filed their nomination papers along with 25 others on Wednesday for the October 6 bypoll to the Nagaon Lok Sabha constituency, officials said.
Sharma, a former IAS officer, was accompanied to the district commissioner’s office by BJP state president Dilip Saikia, ministers Keshab Mahanta and Pijush Hazarika, Nagaon MLA Rupak Sarma and former MP Pradyut Bordoloi. Assam Pradesh Congress Committee president Gaurav Gogoi, Dhubri MP Rakibul Hussain and some party MLAs accompanied Bora, a former MLA, who participated in a rally from the party office before filing her nomination papers. Ajmal, a three-time MP from the Dhubri constituency, was also accompanied by senior party leaders and workers. All India Trinamool Congress’s Abdul Salaam also filed his papers.
The bypoll was necessitated after sitting Congress MP Pradyut Bordoloi resigned from the Lok Sabha seat and the party to contest the Assembly elections from Dispur as a BJP candidate.
Sharma said he felt emotional while filing his nomination as, in his previous role as an official, he used to receive nomination papers from candidates, but was now on the other side of the process. “My destiny has brought me to this stage, but this contest is not personal. It is about the BJP government’s policies and welfare schemes that have changed people’s lives,” he said.
Sharma said he took all his opponents seriously but hoped to succeed with the support of the people of the constituency.
Gogoi, who accompanied Bora, told reporters that people in the state were “fed up” with the BJP government and would ensure that the Congress retained the seat. Bora said that she was confident of winning the seat.
Ajmal, who currently represents the Binnakandi constituency in the assembly, alleged that both the Congress and BJP are two sides of the same coin and that Bora is the chief minister’s choice as an opposition candidate. He claimed that the AIUDF will give a good fight and emerge victorious in the bypolls.
Altogether 22 persons have filed their nominations for the central Assam constituency. The filing of nomination papers ended on Wednesday. Scrutiny will be held on Thursday, while the last date for withdrawal of candidature is September 19.
Polling will be held on October 6, and counting of votes will take place on October 9.
