Archive · 2 Oct 2026
Khurshid Urges Nagaon Voters to Consider Wider Democratic Issues
A special election will be held in Nagaon on October 6.
Congress leader Salman Khurshid asked voters to think about more than roads, water and electricity.
He also raised questions about how the Election Commission is working.
He criticized alleged evictions and police encounters in Assam.
Khurshid questioned BJP candidate Devasish Sharma’s record as a former district commissioner.
He said the final National Register of Citizens list has not been fully implemented.
He also said some people affected by evictions may not have been registered to vote in their new homes.
Votes will be counted on October 9.
Salman Khurshid urged voters in the October 6 Nagaon bypoll to consider election transparency, evictions and police encounters alongside local concerns.
He questioned the credibility of BJP candidate Devasish Sharma, who served as Nagaon district commissioner until September.
Khurshid alleged that evictions in Assam targeted people based on religious identity and displaced residents were not registered as voters in new locations.
He questioned why the Supreme Court-supervised final draft of the National Register of Citizens has not been notified or followed by identity-card distribution.
The bypoll was triggered by Pradyut Bordoloi’s move from Congress to BJP; voting is scheduled for October 6 and counting for October 9.
- Who
- Congress leader Salman Khurshid, BJP candidate Devasish Sharma and Congress candidate Sibamoni Bora are central figures; Nagaon voters will choose the bypoll representative.
- What
- A Nagaon Lok Sabha by-election, alongside debate over election transparency, evictions, citizenship documentation and alleged police encounters.
- When
- Voting is scheduled for October 6, with counting on October 9.
- Where
- Nagaon, Assam.
- Why
- The bypoll was necessitated after sitting MP Pradyut Bordoloi left Congress to join BJP and later became an MLA.
- Polling date
- October 6
- Counting date
- October 9
- Congress candidate
- Sibamoni Bora
- BJP candidate
- Devasish Sharma
- Former MP
- Pradyut Bordoloi left Congress for BJP and is now an MLA.
- Citizenship cut-off cited
- The Assam Accord sets March 25, 1971, as the citizenship cut-off date.
- NRC status questioned
- Khurshid asked why the updated final draft of the National Register of Citizens has not been notified.