Assam

Nagaon by-election counting in Assam is showing a clear lead. As per the latest Election Commission of India (ECI) figures, BJP candidate Devasish Sharma is ahead with 59,865 votes. AIUDF's Mohammed Badruddin Ajmal is in second place with 23,492 votes. Congress candidate Sibamoni Bora is in third with just 7,668 votes.

Sharma is leading Ajmal by 36,373 votes. Bora is over 52,000 votes behind. Counting is still going on though. Numbers can shift, so a lead now does not mean the final result.

How the race stands

BJP vs AIUDF vs Congress is the main triangular contest here. BJP is looking strong. AIUDF is holding second place. Congress appears to be trailing badly.

Want to track the count yourself? Visit the ECI results portal at https://results.eci.gov.in/. Check the Assam parliamentary by-election section for live updates and final declaration.

Note: A lead during counting is not the same as being officially declared elected. Always rely on the ECI for confirmed results.

Congress has raised a big flag over the Nagaon Lok Sabha bypoll. Senior leader and Dhubri MP Rakibul Hussain spoke to the media at Rajiv Bhawan in Nagaon on October 7. He accused the BJP of rigging the election.

What the allegations are

Hussain's claims are specific. He says irregularities happened at multiple polling stations in the Samaguri Assembly segment during Tuesday's voting. Around 11 vehicles with unidentified people reportedly entered booths there. He has asked the Election Commission to order fresh polling at the affected booths. Nagaon District Congress Committee has already filed a complaint with the commission.

Hussain also questioned BJP candidate Devashish Sharma and how the process was handled.

One important note here: None of these claims have been independently verified. The Election Commission has not responded yet.

Polling ended with about 76 per cent turnout across the constituency's eight Assembly segments. Officials said the day was peaceful. Only minor EVM glitches showed up, and those were fixed by replacing the machines.

Who is in the race: Devashish Sharma for BJP, Sibamoni Bora for Congress, and AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal. Vote counting is set for October 9.

BJP won Silchar Municipal Corporation elections in a big way. It took 32 of 42 seats in a contest held on paper ballots. Congress managed only 2 seats. Independents got 6. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma took a jab at the opposition, saying Congress loses even more when people vote on paper.

Polling happened in 40 wards on October 3. Two BJP candidates were elected without any contest. BJP fought in 38 wards and won 30 of the 40 seats that went to polling. Its ally Asom Gana Parishad took 2 more seats. That gave the NDA a majority of 34, which is a comfortable lead.

Some seats were very close. Congress candidate Sakshi Banik won Ward 30 by just 135 votes. Another Congress candidate beat a BJP rival by 49 votes. BJP has asked for a recount in Wards 29 and 30. Officials say a decision on this is still pending.

Roads, drainage, waterlogging and drinking water were the main campaign issues. Silchar is the main city of Barak Valley. It went six years without an elected civic body. Silchar Municipal Board was upgraded to a 42-ward corporation in 2022. This election is the city's first election for a municipal corporation.

Senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid held a press conference at Rajiv Bhawan in Guwahati on Friday and targeted BJP-led central and state governments. He raised serious concerns about Election Commission's independence, NRC process, eviction drives, and alleged fake encounters in Assam.

Khurshid alleged that recent internal decisions in Election Commission were made unilaterally by Chief Election Commissioner by going against the disagreement of two other commissioners. This matter is currently pending before Supreme Court. Quoting Rahul Gandhi, he said no one is above the law, no matter how high a constitutional position they hold.

Targeting BJP's candidate for upcoming assembly by-election and former District Commissioner Devashish Sharma, Khurshid accused him of taking unfair decisions to deport legitimate citizens for political gain. He compared him with Congress candidate and former MLA Sibamoni Bora, whom he credited with clear and honest public service.

Concerns Over NRC and Eviction Drives

On NRC, Khurshid said the process started under late Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi based on Assam Accord with 1971 as the cut-off year. He pointed out that even though Supreme Court-monitored final list was published in 2019, 3.11 crore included individuals are yet to receive National Identity Cards under Rule 13, while over 19 lakh excluded people are still waiting for mandatory rejection slips to file appeals. He warned that any one-sided attempt to change the NRC would amount to contempt of Supreme Court's orders.

Khurshid also expressed sharp anger over eviction drives across Assam. He pointed to recent operations in Goalpara, Golaghat, the Rengma Reserve Forest, and September 2024 eviction in Sonapur's Kachutoli, where two people died in police firing. He said that stopping displaced people from registering as voters at their new locations goes against Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution.

Data on Police Encounters and Deaths

On law and order, Congress leader shared data placed before courts, stating that 171 police encounters took place in Assam between May 2021 and August 2022. These resulted in 56 deaths, 4 custodial deaths, and 145 injuries. He stressed that extrajudicial killings have no place in a society that follows rule of law.

On the wider national political scene, Khurshid talked about unity within INDIA bloc and called Uniform Civil Code (UCC) a distraction tactic. He said such a code cannot be forced without considering Supreme Court's nine-judge bench rulings and the country's diverse cultural mix.

Senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid has criticized the BJP-led central and Assam governments over voting rights, eviction drives and the NRC process. He was speaking at a press conference in Guwahati on October 3.

Khurshid said recent decisions inside Election Commission were taken unilaterally by Chief Election Commissioner. The dissent of two other commissioners was ignored. The matter is now before Supreme Court. Quoting Rahul Gandhi, he said no one is above the law, no matter how high a constitutional position they hold.

On evictions, he was blunt. He called the drives across Goalpara, Golaghat, Rengma Reserve Forest and Sonapur's Kachutoli sheer cruelty. Snatching away voting rights and then stripping people of citizenship is the ultimate blow to democracy, he said. He argued that denying voter registration to displaced people at relocated sites goes against Articles 14 and 21 of Constitution.

On NRC, Khurshid recalled it began under Tarun Gogoi with 1971 as the cut-off year. The final list came out in 2019 under Supreme Court supervision. But 31.1 million listed people still have not got National Identity Cards under Rule 13. Over 1.9 million excluded people are still waiting for rejection slips needed to file appeals. Any unilateral move to alter NRC would amount to contempt of Supreme Court, he warned.

He also raised data on police encounters in Assam. There were 171 encounters between May 2021 and August 2022. These led to 56 deaths, four custodial deaths and 145 injuries. Extrajudicial killings have no place in a society governed by rule of law, he said.

Khurshid dismissed the Uniform Civil Code as a diversionary tactic and urged unity within INDIA alliance. He also paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi and Lal Bahadur Shastri on their birth anniversaries.

Assam BJP president Dilip Saikia on October 1 dismissed the Opposition's demand for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's resignation. He said it would change nothing for Congress.

"Gyanesh Kumar can be replaced, but even if he is replaced, the Congress will never come to power," Saikia said. He also took a direct shot at Rahul Gandhi, adding that Congress should replace its own leader first.

Opposition Pushes for Kumar's Exit

His remarks come amid a growing political fight over Election Commission's functioning and the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. Congress and many Opposition parties have been pressing for Kumar's resignation after reports of disagreements within the poll panel over voter roll decisions.

Congress Working Committee has demanded Kumar's immediate exit. INDIA bloc has announced more protests. The fight has already reached the streets of Assam.

On September 25, Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi and other leaders were detained in Guwahati while protesting against Kumar.

Election Commission has stood its ground, saying differing views among commissioners are part of normal deliberations. Final decisions have been unanimous. BJP has rejected all allegations of irregularities. It has accused Opposition parties of targeting the poll body.

BJP's Dhubri district unit defended the Election Commission and EVMs on Tuesday. They called all opposition claims baseless while the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls continues to stir up controversy.

District BJP president Ranjit Kumar Ray spoke sharply. He said opposition parties are creating confusion on purpose by questioning constitutional institutions. "The allegations being made against CEC, ECI and EVMs are aimed at creating unnecessary doubts in the minds of the people," Ray said.

He asked all political parties to respect constitutional procedures. Instead of making unsubstantiated claims in public, they should raise real concerns through proper legal channels. Open allegations like this, he warned, can weaken trust in democratic institutions.

Dhubri Municipal Board chairperson Dr Debamoy Sanyal and district vice-president Debaprasad Singh also criticised the opposition. Both pointed to ECI's clarification that internal notes and differing views are normal in a multi-member body. Formal decisions always follow the institutional process. They firmly defended EVM reliability too.

Assam-based organisation Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has announced a nationwide protest from October 2 demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The announcement was made during a media interaction in Guwahati by CJP National Spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka.

Ranka said the deadline for Kumar to step down has passed. "For 48 hours, the ball was in Gyanesh Kumar's court. Now, the ball is in CJP's court," he said, warning that the protest will continue until the CEC resigns.

CJP has also raised strong objections over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and has demanded changes in how the Election Commission of India works.

Ranka also alleged that the delimitation of Assembly constituencies in Assam was done in a way that helped Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. He claimed that constituency boundaries were redrawn specifically so Sarma could win the election.

Commissioners raised objections before

His remarks come after an investigation by The Indian Express reported that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections several times over decisions related to electoral-roll management and the SIR exercise. The Election Commission, however, denied any institutional breakdown.

The planned October 2 protest in Mumbai has already hit a problem after Mumbai Police denied permission for the demonstration. CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke has warned of a Jail Bharo Andolan if the organisation is stopped from using its right to protest.

Ranka himself was detained along with several CJP leaders in Guwahati ahead of a planned regional meeting. He was released later and said the incident would not stop the organisation from going ahead with its nationwide campaign.

Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi has attacked BJP Rajya Sabha MP Samik Bhattacharya for reportedly praising Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Gogoi says BJP's praise for Kumar raises questions about how trustworthy the electoral process really is.

Speaking to reporters in Nagaon, Gogoi made fun of Bhattacharya's suggestion that Kumar should get the Padma Bhushan. "Padma Bhushan? BJP will make him the President," he said.

Gogoi also made a serious claim about voter rolls. He said an "IT cell" has appeared inside the Chief Election Commissioner's office. He believes this IT cell could affect decisions on adding new voters to electoral rolls. "Now, Gyanesh Kumar's IT cell will decide if a new 18-year-old voter gets added to the electoral roll," he said.

He connected this to the larger political fight over voter lists. He accused BJP of trying to take control of the entire voter list. Congress is demanding Kumar's resignation. Gogoi also mentioned Rahul Gandhi's earlier call for the CEC to "turn approver" and asked Kumar to tell who is giving him directions.

Note: These are political claims by Gogoi and were not independently established. BJP and Election Commission responses were not included in the source material.

Assam Pradesh Congress Committee leaders were detained on Thursday after a big protest in Guwahati demanding that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar be removed.

APCC President and Lok Sabha MP Gaurav Gogoi led the march from Rajiv Bhawan to the State Chief Electoral Officer's office. Police barricades blocked the procession before it could get there. Tensions rose, and several leaders and workers were taken away.

Those detained include AICC Secretary Manoj Chauhan, Seva Dal President Deep Bayan, APCC General Secretary Udit Bhanu Das, and other Congress officials. Senior leaders like Ripun Bora, Debabrata Saikia, Abdul Khaleque, and others were also part of the demonstration.

Crowds chanted slogans through the streets: "Vote Chor, Gaddi Chhod" and "Gyanesh Kumar Resign." Gaurav Gogoi attacked the Election Commission, saying it was acting like the BJP's IT cell. He claimed that voters' names were being removed from electoral rolls through the Special Intensive Revision exercise.

Concerns About Voter Registration

Gogoi also raised serious concerns about new voter registration, especially for young and first-time voters. He pointed out problems with Form 6 and online verification that could stop people from voting. His message was direct: police action won't stop Congress from continuing the movement until their demands on Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commission transparency are met.

In a separate statement, Gogoi condemned the forceful arrest of leaders, calling it another attack on democratic expression. He said the BJP-led government is using police force to shut down democratic protests. The Congress leadership has confirmed that the agitation will continue.

Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi was detained by Assam Police in Guwahati on Friday during a protest demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

Gogoi said the Election Commission has failed to protect the voter list and has attacked democracy. He asked for legal action against the CEC over problems in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

He said, "India is a democracy because of fair elections and the people's right to vote is secure. The Election Commission's only job is to keep the voter list safe, and they are not even doing that."

What triggered the protest

The protest started after a report by The Indian Express showed that two sitting Election Commissioners, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, had formally recorded objections at least 14 times over 10 months about SIR procedures and database changes. The Election Commission rejected the idea that these objections show disagreement within the body. It said internal observations are normal in a multi-member constitutional body and final SIR decisions were unanimous.

Congress has started protests in several states against the Election Commission, with party leaders demanding Kumar's resignation and legal action over alleged irregularities in electoral-roll management.

Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi was detained by Assam Police on Friday during a protest demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's resignation. The protest made the political fight over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists worse.

Gogoi called for legal action against Kumar and said there were irregularities in the Election Commission's working. "India is a democracy because there are fair elections, and the people's right to vote is secure," he said, accusing the EC of failing to protect electoral rolls.

The controversy behind the protest

This protest comes after an investigative report caused a stir. It showed that two sitting Election Commissioners, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, had raised objections at least 14 times over 10 months about SIR procedures and database changes. The Election Commission has rejected claims of internal disagreement, saying these were normal observations within a multi-member body.

Congress has started protests across several states against the Election Commission. Party leaders want Kumar to resign over alleged irregularities in electoral-roll management.