Former West Karbi Anglong MLA quits BJP, says ‘no respect for old-timers’

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) suffered a major jolt in West Karbi Anglong as Dr Mansing Rongpi, a three-time former MLA, resigned from the party on September 4. His decision comes amid growing unease among veteran leaders who feel sidelined within the organisation.

Rongpi handed his resignation letter to Assam BJP president Dilip Saikia through the district unit chief at the party’s office in Ghelani. Speaking after the move, he questioned the party’s current functioning, saying, “Where is the old BJP? It has been taken over by newcomers. There is no respect or recognition for old-timers like us.”

The former legislator has played a significant role in Karbi Anglong politics. Elected three times consecutively between 2006 and 2016 as a Congress MLA from Baithalangso, he switched to the BJP in 2016 and retained his seat in a bye-election. His relationship with the party soured after he was denied a ticket in the 2021 assembly polls.

Rongpi’s exit is seen as a setback for the BJP in Assam’s hill districts, where internal rifts have surfaced before. With the party gearing up for upcoming electoral contests, the resignation of a senior figure with a strong base in Karbi Anglong could complicate efforts to maintain unity on the ground.