Guwahati: The Nagaon Lok Sabha bypoll has shaped up as a multi-cornered contest, with key candidates filing their nominations on Wednesday, the final day for the Oct 6 election.BJP candidate and former IAS officer Devasish Sharma, Congress nominee Sibamoni Bora, AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal and Trinamool Congress candidate Abdul Salam filed their papers. The nominations will be scrutinised on Thursday, while Sept 19 is the last date for withdrawal. A total of 25 candidates have filed nominations.Sharma, who recently resigned as Nagaon district commissioner, filed his nomination before returning officer and incumbent Nagaon DC Aranyak Saikia. He was accompanied by BJP state president Dilip Saikia, ministers Keshab Mahanta and Pijush Hazarika, Nagaon MLA Rupak Sarma and former MP Pradyut Bordoloi.The bypoll was necessitated after Bordoloi resigned as Congress MP and joined BJP.Congress candidate Bora filed her nomination in the presence of Assam Pradesh Congress Committee president Gaurav Gogoi, Dhubri MP Rakibul Hussain and Rupohihat MLA Nurul Hooda. Ajmal also submitted his papers, accompanied by party leaders and supporters.Sharma said BJP was treating the contest seriously. “We are here not just to contest but to win,” he said.Ajmal alleged that Congress and BJP candidates were “one” and claimed that Bora had been chosen by BJP and Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. He also alleged that his mobile phone was stolen in the crowd. “My mobile has been lost. Someone picked it up. Police could not control the situation,” he said.
