Bhupen Borah's resignation U-turn looms: Ex-Assam Congress chief to decide by tonight amid BJP overtures

Former Assam Congress chief Bhupen Borah said he will announce by Tuesday night, February 17, whether he will withdraw his resignation, after the party’s central leadership asked him to reconsider his decision.

Speaking to reporters, Borah said he needed time to consult his “well-wishers, close associates and people of Lakhimpur district” before arriving at a final call. He submitted his resignation on Monday after 32 years in the party, setting off fresh political turbulence ahead of the Assembly elections due in a few months.

“The resignation letter has been sent, but the central leadership has said it will not accept it,” Borah said. “I cannot give directions to the central leadership, but I have asked for time to think about it.”

The political temperature rose further after Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma publicly stated that the BJP’s doors were open for Borah and promised to “get him elected from a safe assembly seat” if he joined the party. Sarma is likely to visit Borah’s residence in the evening. Responding to this, Borah said, “If any CM wants to visit my home, it is a matter of pride for me.”

Borah also targeted a section of Congress leaders without naming them, stating that he was prepared to remain in the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee but not in “APCC (R)”, an apparent reference to Dhubri MP Rakibul Hussain. “I have also made this clear in my resignation letter to the high command,” he added.

Hussain did not directly react to Borah’s remarks but said senior leaders were speaking to him and that the issue would be resolved soon, acknowledging that Borah may have certain grievances.

The former state chief alleged that his name had been suggested by several senior leaders as the party’s candidate for the Samaguri Assembly by-election but that he was denied the ticket. The by-poll was necessitated after Hussain vacated the seat following his election to the Lok Sabha from Dhubri. The Congress fielded his son, Tanzil Hussain, who lost to BJP candidate Diplu Ranjan Sarmah.

Borah further claimed that the Assam Congress is now divided into two camps — APCC and APCC (R) — and asserted that “many leaders want to remain in the Congress but not in APCC (R)”.

Referring to the 2021 Assembly elections, he said several prominent Congress leaders had opposed the alliance with the AIUDF and that he had written repeatedly to the party high command on the issue. “After the elections, the alliance was withdrawn and in the last Lok Sabha polls Hussain was the biggest beneficiary,” he said, noting that the Dhubri seat was won by a record margin against AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal.

Drawing a parallel with Sarma’s own political journey, Borah said, “Even Sarma was forced to leave the Congress as he was not made the CM despite having the support of 58 MLAs. Is this internal democracy? How long will this kind of politics continue? Somebody has to raise their voice, and I have done so.”

While AICC state in-charge Jitendra Singh claimed that Borah had withdrawn his resignation after speaking with party president Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leader Rahul Gandhi, Borah maintained that he has only sought time from the high command and has not yet taken a final decision.