Assam CM calls Bhupen Borah’s resignation a 'symbolic message', signals more trouble for Congress

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday, February 16, described the resignation of former Assam Congress president Bhupen Kumar Borah as a “symbolic message” reflecting what he termed the party’s neglect of leaders from ordinary families and Hindu communities.

Reacting to Borah’s resignation from the Indian National Congress, Sarma alleged that the Congress in Assam has increasingly embraced appeasement politics and is prioritising minority representation in its candidate selection process. He claimed that Borah was the last prominent Hindu leader in the state unit who was neither an MLA nor a minister, and his exit underscores growing dissatisfaction within the party’s traditional support base.

The Chief Minister further hinted that Borah’s resignation may not be an isolated development. According to Sarma, more leaders—both at the grassroots and among sitting MLAs—are likely to quit Congress in the coming days, intensifying political uncertainty within the party ahead of the Assembly elections.

However, Sarma clarified that any potential induction of defecting Congress leaders into the Bharatiya Janata Party would require careful planning. He pointed to seat-sharing calculations and the impending Rajya Sabha elections as factors that necessitate strategic consideration before accommodating new entrants.

Revealing that efforts had been made in the past to bring Borah into the BJP fold, Sarma said he intends to visit Borah’s residence to hold discussions, further fuelling speculation about possible political realignments in Assam.