Guwahati: APCC president Gaurav Gogoi blamed an alleged Sarma-Ajmal understanding for Congress’s defeat in the Nagaon Lok Sabha bypoll.BJP candidate Devasish Sharma won with about 50% of the vote. The constituency has more than 19 lakh voters, while Congress candidate Sibamoni Bora lost by over 5.8 lakh votes.Addressing the media, Gogoi alleged that CM Himanta Biswa Sarma and AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal had coordinated politically for years, and that this was evident in their statements and actions during the campaign.He alleged that the two leaders prioritised defeating Congress over their stated political differences, and claimed that AIUDF treated BJP more as an ally than an adversary.“Their political understanding and the consequences of it are now visible in the election results,” Gogoi said, alleging that Sarma’s primary objective was to politically eliminate Congress rather than secure another Lok Sabha seat for BJP.Gogoi also accused Election Commission of India (ECI) of failing to ensure a level playing field. He alleged that the poll panel had not acted on complaints about a govt official’s political activities. The official took voluntary retirement before the election and contested on a BJP ticket, he said.Drawing a parallel with West Bengal, Gogoi alleged that ECI’s functioning in Assam reflected wider institutional support for BJP.He said Congress would examine the bypoll and compare its performance with previous Lok Sabha, assembly and panchayat elections. The party would also analyse the results and share its findings with All India Congress Committee.Gogoi said retaining the party’s traditional support and preventing vote shifts would help Congress compete more effectively. He alleged that vote fragmentation could benefit BJP and AIUDF.
