Pradyut Bordoloi joins BJP in presence of Assam CM after resigning from Congress

Congress suffered a fresh setback on Wednesday, March 18 as sitting Member of Parliament Pradyut Bordoloi joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), a day after resigning from the party.

Bordoloi formally joined the BJP in the presence of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and state BJP president Dilip Saikia, today in Delhi.

The move comes less than a month after former Assam Congress president Bhupen Kumar Borah crossed over to the BJP, intensifying concerns within the Congress over a steady erosion of its leadership base in the run-up to the polls.

With Bordoloi’s exit, the Congress has now lost one of its three sitting MPs from Assam, weakening its parliamentary presence at a crucial juncture when parties are ramping up campaign efforts across the state. Bordoloi represented the Nagaon Lok Sabha constituency and had submitted his resignation to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge prior to switching sides.

The timing of the defection is particularly significant, as it comes amid heightened political activity and strategic realignments ahead of the elections. Bordoloi’s departure is being viewed as both a symbolic and organisational blow to the Congress, which has been grappling with internal challenges in Assam.

Reacting to the development earlier, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra indicated that Bordoloi had expressed dissatisfaction over ticket distribution. “He was unhappy over ticket distribution. This was unfortunate,” she said, suggesting that internal disagreements may have contributed to his decision.

Bordoloi’s switch not only dents the Congress’s immediate political strength but also raises broader questions about internal cohesion and strategy, with potential ripple effects as the electoral battle intensifies in the coming weeks.