BREAKING: Congress leader Ajanta Neog likely to join BJP during Amit Shah's Assam visit

GUWAHATI: Ajanta Neog, Congress MLA from Assam who represents the Golaghat Constituency, is likely to jump ship to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), sources said. The crucial Assembly elections in Assam will be held in April of next year.

According to reports, Neog was present at a meeting with Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal yesterday, where discussions were undertaken to switch parties. If reports are to be believed, the senior Congresswoman will join the BJP during Union Home Minister Amit Shah's visit (Shah is arriving on December 26) or in mid-January.

Meanwhile, sources close to the BJP have informed Inside Northeast that while 3 Congress leaders are certain to join the party, 3 others are testing the waters and will take the decision at a later period in time.

Assam Minister and BJP's go-to man in the Northeast Himanta Biswa Sarma has also announced that several senior Congress leaders are likely to jump ship to the saffron power ahead of the election.

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If Neog does indeed leave the Congress, it will be a big blow for the Grand Old Party in Assam, as she is one of the most influential political figures in Upper Assam. She was even conferred with the Golaghat Ratna award by the united chamber of commerce of her Home Constituency.

She first entered the assembly in the 2001 elections by defeating her nearest rival by over 10000 votes. She was again victorious in the subsequent election held in 2006. In the 2011 assembly elections she won by a huge margin of 46171 votes. Consecutively she won the 2016 assembly elections.

In July of this year, rumours of Ajanta Neog joining the BJP started circulating on some sections of the media, but the Congress stalwart vociferously denied the claims, stating that it was a "conspiracy" against her.

It will be interesting to note whether Neog contests the ensuing polls on behalf of the Congress or the BJP.

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