Assam: Former BJP MLA Joy Ram Engleng joins Congress party

Joy Ram Engleng, former CEM of Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) and BJP MLA, officially joined the Congress party on Wednesday during a meeting at Diphu. The meeting was attended by Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) President Bhupen Kumar Borah, MP Gaurav Gogoi, and office bearers of Indian National Congress-Assam.

Engleng had resigned from the BJP on May 3 and submitted his resignation letter to state party president Bhabesh Kalita on May 5. He had won the Howraghat constituency in Assam's Karbi Anglong district in the 2016 Assembly elections by a margin of 6,391 votes. However, in the 2019 state Assembly elections, the ticket was given to Darsing Ronghang instead of him. Ronghang won the assembly seat by over 20,000 votes.

While the reason for Engleng's exit from the BJP is yet to be established, sources say that he may have quit the saffron party as he did not receive a ticket to contest in the 2019 assembly polls.

In addition to Engleng, Bhupen Hasnu, former EM of KAAC, and seven others also joined the Assam Congress on Wednesday. The other leaders who joined the Congress party are Maheswar Rayung, Edward Topno, Mohan Teron, Philip Terang, Kangbura Tisso, Chandra Lakthe, and Lokhi Kanti Bordoloi.