Suspended Congress MLA Sherman Ali Ahmed joins Raijor Dal

Suspended Congress MLA Sherman Ali Ahmed on February 17 joined the Raijor Dal, becoming the second legislator from Assam’s principal opposition party to switch sides within two days.

Ahmed, a three-time MLA from the Baghbor constituency, was formally welcomed into the party fold by Raijor Dal president Akhil Gogoi and other senior leaders at a programme held in Kalagachia in Barpeta district.

Addressing the gathering, Ahmed announced that he would seek nomination from the Mandia constituency in the forthcoming Assembly elections to be held after the delimitation process.

A former government official, Ahmed was first elected to the Assam Legislative Assembly in 2011 as a candidate of the All India United Democratic Front. After being expelled from the AIUDF, he joined the Indian National Congress and went on to retain the Baghbor seat in the 2016 and 2021 Assembly elections.

He was suspended from the Congress in October 2021 for allegedly violating party discipline. Prior to his suspension, he had been arrested over alleged provocative remarks related to an eviction drive in Darrang district.

Ahmed’s move follows the recent induction of another three-time Congress MLA, Abdur Rashid Mandal, into Raijor Dal earlier this week, indicating a churn within the opposition ranks in Assam.

The developments come amid political realignments within the Congress in the state, particularly after former state party president Bhupen Kumar Borah tendered his resignation, which was later not accepted by the party high command.