Badruddin Ajmal, Nagaon Bypoll And His Possible Return To Parliament

All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) chief Maulana Badruddin Ajmal is confident that he will win the October 6 bypoll to the Nagaon Lok Sabha constituency and return to Parliament.

Ajmal's candidature was announced a day before the deadline for filing nominations.

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.

The contest has drawn attention because of the political significance of Nagaon, which has a substantial mix of communities and has traditionally witnessed competition among the BJP, Congress and minority-focussed political forces.

The 76-year-old Ajmal, who has lost the Lok Sabha polls from his traditional Dhubri constituency with a record margin of over 10 lakh votes to Congress's Rakibul Hussain, is an MLA from Assam's Binnakandi constituency.

Ajmal's Bengali-speaking Muslim votebank has eroded and shifted to congress, say political observers. Nagaon being a Muslim majority seat, Ajmal will be trying to gain his core vote bank, analysts say.

Speaking in Hojai on Monday, Ajmal said the AIUDF's campaign would focus on what he described as "humanity", while taking a swipe at the BJP and Congress over their respective political approaches.

With Ajmal entering the contest, the Nagaon bypoll is set to become a significant test for the AIUDF's political standing in central Assam.

Asked about his chances in the election, Ajmal said, "It is very good. There is a new hope. InshaAllah, the atmosphere will be in my favour and very soon people will see me reaching Parliament."

Elaborating, Ajmal said the outcome would depend on the blessings of the Almighty and the support of the people.

"I will work for everyone, for minorities as well as the majority. There are lakhs of issues facing Muslims, but the majority community also has many issues. We should not talk only about minorities while the problems of the majority remain unaddressed," Ajmal stressed.

Education, healthcare and flood and erosion-related issues would be among his priorities, he said.

"Education will be the number one priority. Healthcare, river embankments and other major issues will also be taken up on a priority basis," Ajmal said further.

Ajmal also took a swipe at the Congress, arguing voting for "Congress is voting for BJP".

"Congress itself is saying many things. We do not know whose Congress it is today. The Congress in Assam today is like the BJP. Voting for Congress and voting for BJP is the same. So Congress should not be given votes," he said.

Assam Congress chief Gaurav Gogoi said the party is confident of winning the Nagaon Lok Sabha bypoll, alleging that the BJP has been making a secret pact with Badruddin Ajmal-led party out of panic of a probable win of the Congress in the vacant Lok Sabha seat.

"We are very confident of putting up a solid campaign, and we are confident of a victory in the forthcoming Nagaon bye-election," he added," Gogoi said.

The Congress leader claimed that the AIUDF had reconsidered its earlier candidate strategy after the Congress announced its nominee, former MLA Sibamoni Bora.

Gogoi described her as a strong candidate who forced the BJP to "seek help" from the AIUDF, describing them as "allies".

The BJP has fielded former IAS officer and former Nagaon Deputy Commissioner Devasish Sharma.

The contest assumes additional significance because the Nagaon Lok Sabha seat was won by the Congress in the 2019 and 2024 general elections.