Gaurav Gogoi's rebuke pushed me out of Congress: Bhupen Borah

Bhupen Kumar Borah, who resigned from the Indian National Congress after 32 years, has pointed directly at party MP Gaurav Gogoi as the man whose public humiliation drove him out.

Borah, who served as Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president, said he was asked to lead alliance negotiations on February 9 during a video conference. Two days later, Gogoi told him to include Rakibul Hussain in the talks. But on February 13, the same Gogoi accused him of creating confusion in front of others.

"I started the talks. On the 11th, Gaurav Gogoi said, 'You shouldn't go alone, take Rakibul Hussain along too'... but on the 13th, Gaurav Gogoi announced that Bhupen Borah had created a misunderstanding," Borah said. "I asked him why he had humiliated me in front of everyone, but he gave no answer."

Borah said he subsequently raised the matter with the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi. "I couldn't tolerate such humiliation. But no one said anything," he said.

The former APCC chief also blamed Gogoi for a seat-allocation blunder during a recent by-election, in which a constituency meant for CPI(ML) was abruptly given to a candidate with no Congress background — a seat Gogoi then failed to win.

Borah took some credit for reshaping Congress's political standing in Assam, noting that he had ended the party's alliance with AIUDF after becoming president in 2021 and later built coalitions with 16 parties ahead of the INDIA alliance. "I gave 32 years to the Congress party. Congress made me from an MLA to APCC president," he said.

Assam Leader of Opposition Debabrata Saikia struck a measured tone, saying he respected Borah's long service. "He was my president... when I first became a new MLA in 2001, he told me a little about how to present my views in the Assembly. He gave me good advice," Saikia said.

Borah is set to join the Bharatiya Janata Party on 22 February. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who made the announcement alongside Borah, said a number of Congress leaders from Guwahati and North Lakhimpur would join alongside him. The move has been approved by BJP national president Nitin Nabin.