2 months ago
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The Assam Congress is wary of the imaginable interaction of losing 1 of its 3 MPs from the State to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), a period aft its erstwhile State president Bhupen Kumar Borah jumped ship.
Pradyut Bordoloi, who represented the expansive aged enactment from cardinal Assam’s Nagaon Lok Sabha constituency, joined the BJP successful New Delhi connected Wednesday successful the beingness of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and State BJP president Dilip Saikia.
Mr. Bordoloi was the president of the Congress’s Manifesto Committee for the April 9 Assembly polls successful Assam.
Congress person Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, chairperson of the party’s Screening Committee for candidates for the upcoming elections, said the MP’s resignation was unfortunate. “I deliberation helium was upset implicit 1 summons allocation. I privation we had a accidental for a conversation,” she said.
However, elder Congress leaders indicated Mr. Bordoloi had been readying to don saffron for a agelong time. Jitendra Singh, AICC caput successful complaint of Assam, pointed retired that the campaigner Mr. Bordoloi objected to did not fig successful immoderate of the 2 lists released by the enactment truthful far.
“This means we were considering Pradyut Bordoloiji’s recommendations. I person spoken to him connected this a mates of times, and helium knew my stand. One happening is clear: As politicians, we should realise that we are elected by our voters to correspond them with dignity and sincerity and not to merchantability their votes arsenic a negotiator waiting for the highest leverage point,” Mr. Singh posted connected X.
In a missive to Mr. Singh a fewer days ago, Mr. Bordoloi threatened to discontinue if the enactment re-nominated MLA Asif Mohammad Nazar from the Laharighat constituency. The spot is portion of the Muslim-majority Nagaon Lok Sabha constituency, which Mr. Bordoloi represents.
The MP said the MLA was linked to the person of a radical that had attacked his car successful Nagaon successful April 2025.
Blow earlier polls
Congress leaders successful Assam person enactment up a brave front, insisting that a bid of resignations was a boon successful disguise. They accused the defectors of having been “BJP agents”.
A conception wrong the party, however, said the resignations of Mr. Borah and Mr. Bordoloi successful speedy succession could impact the party’s morale arsenic it heads to the polls. The Congress was connected the ascendancy erstwhile its State president, Gaurav Gogoi, defied the likelihood — the BJP had gone each retired to guarantee his decision — to triumph the Jorhat Lok Sabha spot successful 2024.
Mr. Bordoloi said his determination to discontinue the Congress was not easy. “Congress made me, but I felt ignored and unwanted successful the enactment successful the past 2 years,” helium said, hoping to enactment successful the BJP with his caput held high.
The Chief Minister said helium understood Mr. Bordoloi’s pain. “He has made a immense sacrifice, with much than 3 years near arsenic the MP from a spot the BJP cannot win,” helium added, predicting that MLA Debabrata Saikia and erstwhile Minister Ripun Bora would discontinue the Congress aft the elections.
Mr. Bordoloi’s resignation has enactment his lad Prateek Bordoloi on a sticky wicket, arsenic the Congress has fielded the second from the Margherita Assembly spot successful eastbound Assam.
“He is an adult. I volition honour immoderate determination helium takes,” the elder Bordoloi said.
Mr. Gogoi said helium would speech to the inferior Bordoloi to larn his position. “I volition besides await the determination of our cardinal enactment connected this seat,” helium said.
