Guwahati, Feb 17: The Congress in Assam received a rude jolt on Monday, as former state unit chief Bhupen Borah resigned ahead of the assembly polls in the state, but later sought time to reconsider his decision after the high command rejected it.
Besides, three-time sitting MLA Abdur Rashid Mandal also left the Congress and joined another opposition constituent Raijor Dal.
Borah’s resignation letter, claiming he was “ignored” by the leadership, triggered a political storm in the state, with the party’s high command claiming that he has withdrawn it, while the leader requested time to reconsider it. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma extended an open invitation to him to join the BJP.
Later in the day, Mandal, representing Goalpara West constituency, joined the Raijor Dal in presence of its chief Akhil Gogoi.
“I am happy to join the growing Raijor Dal under Gogoi. I am looking forward to strengthening his hands as a simple worker,” Mandal said at the joining function.
An Assam Congress spokesperson, however, told PTI that Mandal has not submitted a resignation letter to the party.
Regarding Bora who is also the party’s election campaign committee chairman, AICC state in-charge Jitendra Singh claimed that he has withdrawn his resignation letter following intervention by the party brass, including president Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leader Rahul Gandhi.
“The party leadership has discussed the matter with Borah. Rahul Gandhi also spoke to him for 15 minutes,” Singh told reporters here outside Borah’s house.
”This is our internal matter; we discussed in detail about the issues bothering him, and I thank him for agreeing to withdraw his resignation,” he said.
Emerging from his residence, Borah, however, said he has sought time from the high command to reconsider his decision.
”My old colleagues and the party’s central leadership came to my house, and I respect them. I have sought time till tomorrow morning so that I can talk to my family and take a decision in this regard,” the 55-year-old leader said.
Besides Singh, Assam unit chief Gaurav Gogoi, MP Pradyut Bordoloi, leader of the opposition in the Assembly Debabrata Saikia and other party MLAs, met Borah at his residence, after he sent a letter to the party high command, announcing his resignation.
Gaurav Gogoi said Borah was a ”pillar of strength” for the party, and he has always raised his voice against the negative forces active in the state.
Borah is a ”true Congressman, a courageous leader with Assamese culture, civilisation and the party ideology of taking everyone together to move ahead deeply embedded in his DNA”, he said.
Gogoi said he apologised to him “as a younger brother” if he felt hurt due to certain issues in the party.
“This is a complex matter for us. We are also learning one step at a time, and hope that in future, he will guide us so that not only the Congress, but the opposition parties, too, are strengthened,” the deputy leader of the opposition in Lok Sabha said.
In his resignation letter to Kharge, Borah claimed that he was being “ignored” by the party leadership and not being accorded his due in the state unit.
Chief Minister Sarma said the BJP’s doors are open for Borah, and promised to help him get elected from a “safe seat” if he joined.
Sarma said Borah was the “last Hindu leader” in the Congress without a family background — father or mother not occupying a ministerial post or being an MLA.
”His resignation carries the symbolic message that in the Congress, no one from a normal family can prosper. The Congress does not give recognition to people from ordinary families, but I hail from an ordinary middle-class family, and the BJP has made me a chief minister. We stay opposite to the politics of blue blood,” he told reporters here outside the Assembly.
Sarma said he will go to Borah’s residence tomorrow evening, and discuss his plans for the future.
“Borah has not contacted me or the BJP till now, and at present, we are not in direct or indirect touch,” the CM said.
“If he wants to join the BJP, we will welcome him, but even if he does not want to do so, we extend our best wishes to him”, he said.
Borah was the president of the Assam Congress unit from 2021 to 2025, and was replaced by Gaurav Gogoi last year. He has been a two-time legislator from Bihpuria in Assam.
The United Opposition Forum, Assam, also appealed to Borah to withdraw his resignation, with its spokesperson and Raijor Dal president Akhil Gogoi saying that the forum will not allow him to leave the opposition camp at any cost.
”No one from the United Opposition will let him join the BJP even if PM Narendra Modi or Home Minister Amit Shah comes. He was, is and will remain with us. Who will let him go? We will carry him everywhere with us,” Gogoi said.
Borah is hurt due to some issues in the Congress, but their party leaders are talking to him and the matter should be resolved soon, the independent MLA said.
”Even if he does not stay in the Congress, be assured that he will not join the BJP. He will be made the senior-most leader of the forum, and if he does not agree to even this, then I will relinquish the president’s post of Raijor Dal, but will not allow such an experienced person to join the BJP,” he said.
Elections to the 126 assembly constituencies in Assam are likely to be held in March-April this year. (PTI)
