Guwahati: Former IAS officer Devashish Sharma has won the Nagaon Lok Sabha by-election in Assam on a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ticket, defeating his nearest rival and former Dhubri MP Mohammad Badruddin Ajmal of the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) by 1,42,224 votes.
Mr Sharma secured 7,14,349 votes, while Ajmal received 5,72,125 votes. Congress candidate Sibamoni Bora finished third with 1,29,492 votes.
The victory marks a major transition for Sharma, who took voluntary retirement from the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) on 3 September 2026, while serving as Deputy Commissioner of Nagaon district. Five days later, on 8 September, he joined the BJP. The party announced his candidature for the by-election on 11 September.
With this victory, the BJP’s tally in the Lok Sabha has increased from 240 to 241. The Nagaon seat fell vacant after Congress MP Pradyut Bordoloi left the party, joined the BJP and won the Dispur Assembly constituency in the 2026 Assam Assembly elections.
Who Is Devashish Sharma?
Mr Sharma is a retired 2011-batch IAS officer of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre. Before entering politics, he served in several administrative positions in Assam, including Commissioner of the Guwahati Municipal Corporation, District Commissioner of Morigaon and Deputy Commissioner of Nagaon.
Apart from his administrative career, Sharma is known for his work in cancer care and patient support. He founded the Deepsikha Foundation, a non-profit organisation that assists cancer patients, particularly those travelling from Northeast India to Mumbai for specialised treatment.
Read Also: Punjab Govt Transfers 3 IAS & PCS Officers, Shreyansee Jain Posted as ADC Ludhiana
His journey from the Assam Civil Services to the IAS, followed by his work in social welfare and subsequent entry into electoral politics, has been a defining feature of his public life.
Early Life and Educational Background
Mr Sharma was born on 23 February 1967 in Jorhat, Assam. His schooling took place at several institutions in the Northeast, including Government Higher Secondary School in Daporijo, Don Bosco School in Dibrugarh and Swami Vivekananda Vidyalaya in Digboi.
He subsequently moved to Delhi for higher education, graduating in English Literature from Ramjas College, University of Delhi. He also obtained a postgraduate diploma in Public Relations from Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, New Delhi.
His educational background preceded a career in public administration that began in 1992, when he joined the Assam Civil Services.
From Assam Civil Services to the IAS
Mr Sharma began his administrative career in 1992 after joining the Assam Civil Services (ACS). His initial posting was in Barpeta, Assam.
In 1996, he was appointed Special Officer to the then Governor of Assam, Lieutenant General S.K. Sinha. The assignment gave him experience in the functioning of the Governor’s office and state administration.
In 2003, Sharma moved to Assam Bhawan in Mumbai, where he served as Deputy Resident Commissioner and subsequently as Joint Resident Commissioner. He remained associated with the assignment for several years, representing the Assam government’s interests in Maharashtra and assisting people from the state who travelled to Mumbai.
During his years in Mumbai, he also became closely involved in efforts to support cancer patients from the Northeast who travelled to the city for treatment. This experience eventually contributed to his work in the non-profit sector.
In 2011, Sharma was inducted into the Indian Administrative Service under the Assam-Meghalaya cadre. He later took up several important assignments in Assam’s municipal and district administration.
Key Administrative Assignments
After his induction into the IAS, Sharma served in various roles, including Commissioner of the Guwahati Municipal Corporation from 2021 to 2022.
He was subsequently appointed District Commissioner of Morigaon, where he served from 2022 to 2025. In June 2025, he took charge as Deputy Commissioner of Nagaon, the district where he would eventually enter electoral politics.
His administrative career included work in municipal governance, district administration and public service delivery. Nagaon was his final posting before he sought voluntary retirement on 3 September 2026.
Deepsikha Foundation: His Work in Cancer Care
Beyond government service, Mr Sharma is widely associated with the Deepsikha Foundation, a non-profit trust established to support cancer patients and their families.
The initiative developed from his experience assisting patients from Assam who travelled to Mumbai for treatment, particularly at Tata Memorial Hospital. Many faced difficulties finding affordable accommodation, arranging transport, meeting daily expenses and navigating treatment away from their homes.
While serving at Assam Bhawan in Mumbai, Sharma became involved in efforts to help such patients. These initiatives grew into a more organised support network through Deepsikha.
The foundation works to improve access to cancer care through accommodation facilities, transport assistance, financial support, awareness programmes and help for families accompanying patients. Its initiatives are intended to reduce the practical and financial difficulties faced by people seeking treatment far from their home states.
Sharma’s work in this field became an important part of his public profile, alongside his career in administration. His involvement also extended to the wider cancer-care sector.
In November 2023, he was reported to have been appointed Chairman of Cancer Care India, reflecting his continued engagement with cancer-care initiatives and patient support.
Why Did Devashish Sharma Take Voluntary Retirement?
Sharma took voluntary retirement from the IAS on 3 September 2026, shortly before joining the BJP on 8 September. The BJP announced him as its candidate for the Nagaon Lok Sabha by-election three days later.
The short interval between his retirement and entry into politics attracted attention in Assam. Congress leaders questioned the circumstances surrounding his transition from district administration to active politics.
Congress MP Rakibul Hussain, who defeated Badruddin Ajmal in the 2024 Dhubri Lok Sabha election, wrote to the Election Commission of India seeking a review of decisions taken during Sharma’s tenure as Nagaon’s Deputy Commissioner.
The concerns were raised by political opponents in the context of the by-election. They should be distinguished from any formal finding of wrongdoing.
The BJP went ahead with Sharma’s candidature, and he ultimately defeated Ajmal by more than 1.42 lakh votes.
Nagaon Bypoll: Sharma Defeats Badruddin Ajmal
The Nagaon Lok Sabha by-election was closely watched because of the constituency’s political significance and the presence of prominent regional leaders.
Ajmal, the AIUDF chief and former MP from Dhubri, contested against Sharma, who was making his electoral debut as the BJP candidate. Congress fielded Sibamoni Bora.
Mr Sharma received 7,14,349 votes against Ajmal’s 5,72,125, winning by 1,42,224 votes. Bora polled 1,29,492 votes.
The result returned the Nagaon parliamentary seat to the BJP after seven years. The constituency had been represented by Congress since 2019.
Nagaon also has a substantial Muslim population, making the contest politically significant in Assam. Sharma invoked Srimanta Sankardeva during his campaign, referring to Batadrava Than in Nagaon district, associated with the saint-reformer’s birthplace and Assam’s cultural identity.
The result gives Sharma a new role in national politics after more than three decades in public service.
Devashish Sharma: Key Facts
- Full name: Devashish Sharma, also spelt Devasish Sharma.
- Date of birth: 23 February 1967.
- Birthplace: Jorhat, Assam.
- Civil service: Joined Assam Civil Services in 1992; inducted into the IAS in 2011.
- Cadre: Assam-Meghalaya.
- Education: BA in English Literature from Ramjas College, University of Delhi; postgraduate diploma in Public Relations from Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, New Delhi.
- Major assignments: Commissioner, Guwahati Municipal Corporation; District Commissioner, Morigaon; Deputy Commissioner, Nagaon.
- Social work: Founder of the Deepsikha Foundation, which supports cancer patients.
- Voluntary retirement: 3 September 2026.
- Joined BJP: 8 September 2026.
- Electoral victory: Won the Nagaon Lok Sabha by-election by 1,42,224 votes against Badruddin Ajmal.
Mr Sharma’s victory marks a new chapter in his public career, taking him from administrative service and cancer-care philanthropy into electoral politics as a BJP representative from Assam.
Read Also: J&K Transfers 100 Police Officers in Major Reshuffle; Abdul Jabbar, Haseeb Mughal Get Key Posts
