Congress suffers major setback in Assam’s Margherita as over 200 join BJP

The Indian National Congress suffered a major organisational blow in Assam’s Margherita constituency on Monday, February 9, with more than 200 of its leaders and workers switching allegiance to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The mass defection took place in the 83rd Margherita Legislative Assembly Constituency in the presence of local BJP MLA Bhaskar Sharma, underscoring the party’s expanding footprint in Upper Assam. Those who crossed over included several senior Congress functionaries, signalling a deepening crisis within the opposition camp at the grassroots level.

Prominent among the defectors were Rubul Gogoi, former Secretary of the Congress OBC Morcha and former President of the Margherita Block Congress Committee; Raju Hazarika, former Executive President of the Jagun Mandal Congress Committee; Anjuma Ahmed, former State Secretary of the Assam Mahila Congress Committee; Dulumoni Buragohai, former Congress Secretary; along with several other office-bearers and workers.

BJP leaders described the development as a vote of confidence in the ruling party’s governance and organisational strength, while terming the exodus a reflection of growing disillusionment within the Congress ranks.

The latest wave of defections adds to the Congress’s troubles in Margherita, where over the past few months more than 1,000 Congress leaders and workers have joined the BJP, marking one of the largest constituency-level shifts in recent times. Political observers view the development as a strategic advantage for the BJP as electoral activity gathers momentum in the region.