BJP Fields Former IAS Officer Debasish Sharma For Nagaon Lok Sabha Bypoll In Assam
Mr Sharma, a 34-year veteran of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre of the Indian Administrative Service, took voluntary retirement from government service in early September while serving as District Commissioner of Nagaon. He had only a few months of service remaining
Guwahati: The Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday named former Nagaon District Commissioner Debasish Sharma, who joined the party soon after his resignation from the services earlier this week, as its candidate for the upcoming Nagaon Lok Sabha by-election.
The Nagaon Lok Sabha seat fell vacant after two-time Congress MP Pradyut Bordoloi resigned, joined the BJP ahead of the 2026 Assam Assembly elections, and won the Dispur constituency. The bypoll is scheduled for October 6, with counting on October 9. Notification was issued on September 9, with nominations closing on September 16. The constituency, which includes assembly segments such as Jagiroad, Morigaon, Raha, Samaguri, Dhing, Lahorighat and Rupahihat, has a significant minority population and is not viewed as a traditional BJP stronghold.
Mr Sharma, a 34-year veteran of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre of the Indian Administrative Service, took voluntary retirement from government service in early September while serving as District Commissioner of Nagaon. He had only a few months of service remaining.
Mr Sharma earned appreciation for initiatives including assistance to cancer patients and community outreach programmes. Mr Sharma formally joined the BJP on September 8 at the party’s state headquarters, Atal Bihari Vajpayee Bhawan in Basistha, Guwahati, alongside senior journalists Lenin Saurav Bora and Gunjan Kalita.
Congress leaders have raised concerns over Mr Sharma’s recent role as District Commissioner-cum-District Election Officer, alleging potential questions about the neutrality of the electoral process.
Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi and MP Rakibul Hussain approached the Election Commission seeking an inquiry. The BJP has maintained that candidate selection follows established procedures. Mr Sharma’s nomination marks a notable transition from bureaucracy to electoral politics, with the party banking on his local familiarity and administrative credentials in what is expected to be a closely watched contest.
Born on February 23, 1967, in Assam’s Jorhat, Mr Sharma completed his schooling at institutions across the Northeast, including Government Higher Secondary School in Daporijo, Don Bosco School in Dibrugarh, and Swami Vivekananda Vidyalaya in Digboi. His administrative career spanned diverse roles. He began as a Circle Officer and later served as Protocol Officer in the General Administration Department, Special Officer to the Governor at Raj Bhavan, Resident Commissioner at Assam Bhawan in Mumbai (2003–2021), Additional Secretary in the General Administration Department, Municipal Commissioner of Guwahati, and District Commissioner of both Morigaon and Nagaon.