Want to bring all 'good' leaders of Congress in Assam into BJP: Himanta Biswa Sarma

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on March 18 launched a pointed attack on the Congress, asserting that no person with self-respect would remain in the opposition party and expressing his desire to induct all its “good” leaders into the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to secure a brighter future for the state.

Sarma’s remarks came after Congress Lok Sabha MP Pradyut Bordoloi, a senior leader with over five decades in the party, resigned and joined the BJP in Delhi. 

Addressing reporters, Sarma said, “Let the Congress say what it wants. But it is our goal to bring all good leaders of Congress into the BJP fold. We have to brighten the future of the BJP and Assam both. That’s why I want to gradually bring into the BJP fold all those Congress leaders who are assets, not liabilities.” He highlighted that the BJP’s efforts in this regard, initiated in 2016, had already achieved “99 per cent success.”

The Chief Minister claimed that no self-respecting individual could remain in the Congress in Assam given the party’s current condition and ideological stance. He cited recent examples, including former state Congress president Bhupen Borah, and predicted that more leaders would follow Bordoloi into the BJP. Sarma added that leaders were joining the BJP because the party was delivering results in Assam and asserted that protecting the interests of Assamese people would be a key focus after the upcoming Census. He also credited Union Home Minister Amit Shah for guiding the BJP’s outreach efforts.

Reacting to Bordoloi’s move, Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Gaurav Gogoi termed the resignation “unfortunate” and attributed it to personal grievances. He said Bordoloi had faced humiliation and was sidelined after supporting Shashi Tharoor’s candidature for the Congress president post. Gogoi added that the party had previously given Bordoloi a Lok Sabha ticket and was fielding his son, Prateek Bordoloi, in the upcoming assembly elections from the Margherita constituency.

“Whatever decision Prateek Bordoloi takes, I will convey it to the party’s central leadership. I have sympathy for him and will extend moral support,” Gogoi said, adding that the assembly elections would determine Assam’s future. He accused Sarma of prioritizing family interests, neglecting tribal rights, and pushing the tea industry towards decline, asserting that the Congress would continue to champion the demands of the people.

The political developments come amid heightened activity and speculation in Assam ahead of the Assembly elections, with party shifts and candidate selections intensifying the state’s electoral contest.