'Ex-Assam Congress president joining BJP': Himanta after meeting disgruntled leader
What's the story
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has said that former state Congress chief Bhupen Borah will join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on February 22. The announcement was made after Sarma met Borah at his residence in Guwahati on Tuesday evening. "Bhupen Borah will join BJP on 22nd February," Sarma said, adding that a number of Congress leaders would also make the switch.
Political shift
'Last recognized Hindu leader in Congress'
Borah had resigned from the Congress earlier on Monday, citing feeling "ignored" within the state unit. He sent his resignation letter to the high command at 8:00am explaining his decision. After the announcement, a bunch of Congress leaders, including current state president Gaurav Gogoi and Jitendra Singh, the AICC general secretary in charge, went to meet him. They had claimed that he was not resigning. But Borah told the media that he needed "some time" to make his final decision.
Fight
'APCC is now APCC-R'
Borah became more vocal about his criticisms against the Congress on Tuesday, notably saying that Dhubri MP Rakibul Hussain wields decision-making power within the Assam Congress. "The APCC is now APCC-R... I have told them that if you want to survive in Congress, don't be in APCC, you have to be in APCC-R... A lot of people within the Congress are not willing to leave the Congress but are not ready to be a part of APCC-R," he told reporters.
Party contrast
Sarma accuses Congress of elitism
Before welcoming Boran into the BJP fold, Sarma had described Borah as "the last recognized Hindu leader in Congress" and said that BJP's national leadership had already cleared his induction. Sarma also hit out at the internal functioning of the Congress, accusing it of favoring select leaders over grassroots workers. He said that Borah's joining would change the perception that Congress is no longer a party of mainstream Assamese people.
Resignation retraction
Borah a two-time MLA from Bihpuria
Borah had sent his resignation letter to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge earlier, alleging he was "ignored" by party leadership and not given his due within the state unit. A two-time MLA from the Bihpuria constituency between 2006 and 2016, Borah has been a key organizational face for the party in Assam. His resignation comes at a time when Congress is trying to form an opposition alliance in Assam with regional parties like Raijor Dal, led by Akhil Gogoi.