Himanta predicts fresh Congress exodus: Pradyut Bordoloi before 2029 LS polls, Debabrata Saikia after Assembly defeat

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on February 17 predicted further defections from the Indian National Congress, claiming that senior leaders Pradyut Bordoloi and Debabrata Saikia would eventually join the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Sarma asserted that Bordoloi would switch sides before the 2029 Lok Sabha elections, while Saikia would join the BJP after losing the upcoming Assembly polls. 

The remarks came amid the political churn triggered by former APCC president Bhupen Kumar Borah’s decision to join the BJP on February 22.

Addressing the media after meeting Borah, Sarma described the development as a major political shift in Assam, stating that several Congress leaders and workers from Guwahati and Lakhimpur would also join the BJP.

“Bhupen Borah will be given respect and dignity. Joining the BJP will be like a homecoming for him. This is a party of simple people,” Sarma said, emphasising that there was “no bargaining” involved in Borah’s move. “He did not join after negotiations. I have gone through the same pain,” he added, referring to his own exit from Congress in the past.

The Chief Minister maintained that Borah’s resignation was rooted in deeper issues within the Congress. “Nobody resigns after 30 years without a reason. Congress does not want to address the cause,” he said.

Taking a swipe at senior Congress MP Rokibul Hussain, Sarma claimed that Hussain is “hated by the Assamese mainstream” and questioned the party’s strategy. “If you take Rokibul to Majuli, what will Assamese people say?” he asked.

Sarma also made remarks about Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi, stating that “inclusive minds dictate what to say to Gaurav Gogoi; whenever they don’t WhatsApp him, he creates a mess,” in an apparent criticism of the party’s internal functioning.

Clarifying his meeting with Borah, Sarma said it was a cordial interaction without political negotiations. “I came because I respect Bhupen Borah. It was just a get-together,” he said, adding that he had shared certain internal perspectives with Borah which “shocked” him.

Sarma further argued that the Congress is “no longer a part of Assamese society” and stressed that the BJP’s goal is not merely a “Congress-mukt Assam,” but to ensure that “the entire people of Assam support a capable party.”

With Borah’s formal induction set for February 22, and the Chief Minister predicting additional high-profile defections, Assam’s political landscape appears poised for further realignment ahead of upcoming elections.