"Won’t accept him": Nalbari Congress workers rebel against acting district president pick, ransack Rajiv Bhawan

A major internal rift within the Congress came to the fore in Assam’s Nalbari district on Sunday, March 22, after violent protests by party workers led to vandalism and the locking of the district party office.

The unrest erupted following the appointment of Dibyajyoti Haloi as the acting president of the Nalbari District Congress Committee, a decision that triggered sharp dissent among a section of party workers.

The leadership vacuum arose after district Congress president Ratul Patowary entered the electoral fray from the Tihu Assembly constituency. In his absence, Haloi’s appointment, reportedly backed by senior leaders including Ashok Sharma and MLA Diganta Barman, sparked immediate backlash.

Protesting workers alleged that Dr. Neelkamal Bhuyan, whose name was under consideration for the post, was allegedly 'sidelined'. The discontent quickly escalated into a full-blown agitation, with workers ransacking the Rajiv Bhawan premises, damaging furniture, and raising slogans against the party leadership.

Eyewitnesses reported that agitated workers vandalised chairs and tables and created chaos within the office complex, reflecting deep-rooted factionalism within the district unit.

In a dramatic escalation, the protesters locked the main gate of Rajiv Bhawan and warned that the office would remain shut until the decision is reversed and a new acting president is appointed. They categorically rejected Haloi’s appointment, stating that they would not accept him in the role under any circumstances.

The agitating workers also levelled serious allegations against Haloi, branding him a “BJP agent,” and issued threats to bar him, along with Ashok Sharma and Diganta Barman, from entering the party office premises.