'I gave 32 years to Congress, bled in front of Rahul Gandhi': Bhupen Borah on why he walked out

Three decades of loyalty, a bloody nose at a public event, and a resignation letter that nobody bothered to respond to — former Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) chief Bhupen Borah has laid out, in his own words, exactly why he left the Congress Party after 32 years and joined the BJP.

Borah did not mince his words. "I gave 32 years to Congress... I suffered a nose injury, bleeding took place in front of Rahul Gandhi," he said, painting a picture of a long-serving leader who felt his sacrifices had gone unacknowledged. The incident — in which he was apparently injured at a party event with Gandhi present — became a symbol of his deeper grievances.

About a month before he resigned, Borah wrote a letter to the current APCC president Gaurav Gogoi, warning him that he would hold a press conference against him if the humiliation continued. He also sent a copy to the Congress Legislature Party leader Jitendra Singh. Neither responded.

"I felt I was not needed and resigned," Borah said. The high command did reach out after the resignation — Rahul Gandhi personally spoke to him, invoking their relationship since 2007. But Borah said the conversation missed the point entirely. "No one spoke about the issues I mentioned in my resignation letter," he said.

His assessment of the party's current state in Assam is scathing. He described APCC president Gaurav Gogoi as a figurehead with little actual authority, saying Gogoi "has no control over the party" and functions mainly as a public face. The real power, Borah argued, lies with Dhubri MP Rakibul Hussain, whom he called "the sole and base of the party."

The remarks are a significant embarrassment for the Congress, which has been struggling to mount a credible opposition in Assam ahead of future elections. Borah's departure — and his candid account of factionalism and neglect within the party — is likely to deepen the turmoil.

He has since joined the BJP, after Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma visited him at home and spent two hours persuading him to make the switch.