Assam: Congress party faces resignation threats amidst anti-party allegations

There is a storm brewing within the Assam Congress party. Congress party post holders and party workers are threatening to mass resign if action is not taken against three MLAs over alleged anti-party activities. The three MLAs in question are Chaygaon MLA Rekibuddin Ahmed, Titabor MLA Bhaskar Barua and Abhayapuri North MLA Abdul Batin Khandakar.

Amidst allegations of being close to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, especially Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, there is a growing chorus within the Assam Congress camp demanding action against them. Now Congress party post holders are all set to give an ultimatum to the party leadership to take action or else face a wave of mass resignation. 

Speaking to India Today NE, Assam Pradesh Congress Committee vice president Naba Talukdar said that the party workers across the state are unhappy that no action has been taken against the three MLAs in question over their alleged anti-party activities. Talukdar said that they are all set to submit a memorandum to APCC president Bhupen Bora seeking action against the three MLAs. 

"We are going to submit a memorandum to Bhupen Bora at the Rajib Bhawan in Guwahati on October 9. We are going to give an ultimatum of 48 hours to the leadership to take action against the three MLAs in question or else seek forgiveness from the party workers. The party workers are upset that no action has been taken yet, and no party can run without its workers. If no action is taken then we will all take recourse to mass resignation and resign from our posts," said Talukdar. 

Noteworthy here is that the 48 hour ultimatum is strategic as on October 11, the Congress party's Assam incharge Jitendra Singh will be coming to Guwahati to take part in the party's political affairs committee meeting. The news of the crisis has in the meantime already been conveyed to Jitendra Singh by Congress leader Rana Goswami, who confirmed to India Today NE that he has already written him a letter about the ongoing unrest within the party regarding the three MLAs. 

"I have already written to our in-charge Jitendra Singh regarding the matter. And I have also told Bhupen Bora to keep this matter in the agenda of the meeting that is taking place on October 11," said Goswami. 

Noteworthy here is that Bhaskar Bora and Abdul Batin Khandakar have come under fire for taking part in the BJP government's recent Amrit Kalash Yatra programme. The controversy stemmed from their involvement in the program on October 2, where they attended meetings organized by Gaon Panchayats. Earlier there were reports of showcause notice being served to the two MLAs regarding the matter. However, yesterday Khandakar denied having received any such notice. The MLAs have defended themselves by saying that it was a government programme and also that there was no directive from the Congress party leadership to any party MLA for not attending the Amrit Kalash Yatra programme. Baruah, earlier too, had been embedded in a controversy over attending the BJP's Ashirwad Yatra. 

On the other hand, Rekibuddin Ahmed has been accused of being close to the ruling BJP, and in particular to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. The Chaygaon MLA has often been targeted over his closeness to CM Sarma and has been accused of leaking party secrets to the BJP camp.