From ‘corrupt power broker’ to party colleague: Will BJP’s past charges against Pradyut Bordoloi be revisited?

The induction of former Congress MP Pradyut Bordoloi into the Bharatiya Janata Party has sparked a fresh political debate in Assam, with questions being raised over whether serious allegations once levelled against him by the BJP will now be set aside.

Bordoloi formally joined the BJP in New Delhi on March 18 in the presence of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and state BJP president Dilip Saikia. However, the political narrative surrounding his entry stands in stark contrast to the party’s position just months ago.

On August 2, 2025, the Assam BJP had launched a scathing attack on Bordoloi via its official social media handle, branding him as “one of the most corrupt, manipulative power-brokers Assam has ever seen.” In the same statement, the party accused him of “plundering the state” during his tenure and alleged that he lived in a “Sheesh Mahal” in Guwahati built on “the ruins of public trust and taxpayers’ money.” 

The post further claimed that Bordoloi was part of a larger network of leaders who treated Assam as their “personal fiefdom.”

 

The attack was not limited to social media rhetoric as the same was accompained with a video campaign, the BJP accused Bordoloi of playing a role in pushing the Assam Power Distribution Company Limited to the brink of collapse. 

The video also questioned the rapid accumulation of wealth by the then Congress leader, alleging that he had built significant assets over a span of 15 years through questionable means, including links to multiple companies and ventures.

The video further claimed that Bordoloi amassed wealth by exploiting the power sector and allegedly collecting money from unemployed youth in the name of jobs—charges that were politically explosive at the time and widely circulated in the run-up to elections.

With Bordoloi now part of the BJP, opposition voices within the Indian National Congress are expected to question the apparent shift in stance. Congress leaders are likely to argue that the BJP must clarify whether it stands by its earlier allegations or considers them no longer valid.

At the same time, the development puts the BJP in a politically sensitive position. If the party continues to pursue the allegations, it risks internal contradictions; if it remains silent, it opens itself to criticism of political expediency.

As the Assam Assembly elections approach, the focus will now be on whether the BJP addresses its past accusations against Pradyut Bordoloi or lets them fade into the background following his high-profile entry into the party.

Also Read: Pradyut Bordoloi meets Amit Shah, eyes Assam polls after quitting MP seat