Former Assam Congress president Bhupen Kumar Borah joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday, weeks ahead of the state’s Assembly elections scheduled for March–April, marking a significant political development in Assam’s pre-election landscape. He formally entered the ruling party during a ceremony held at the BJP’s state headquarters, Vajpayee Bhawan, in the presence of state unit president Dilip Saikia and senior party leaders.
Several other former Congress members, including Sanju Bora, Rajesh Kumar Joshi, Kangkan Das, Gagan Chandra Bora, and more than a dozen party workers, also joined the BJP alongside Borah, signalling a broader shift of opposition leaders to the ruling party ahead of the polls.
Borah had submitted his resignation from the Congress on February 16. Although the party’s central leadership initially declined to accept it and senior leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, reached out to persuade him to reconsider, developments took a different turn soon afterward. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma later visited Borah at his residence and publicly announced that he would join the BJP on February 22.
Speaking after his induction, Borah said his resignation was not originally motivated by a desire to switch parties. He stated that he had expected introspection within the Congress over organisational issues and hoped the leadership would acknowledge and address internal shortcomings. According to him, the response from party leaders following his resignation left him disappointed and emotionally hurt, both personally and in terms of what he described as the sentiments of the Assamese community.
Borah noted that he had spent more than 32 years in the Congress, serving the party with ideological commitment and dedication, but felt compelled to move on after recent developments. Welcoming him into the BJP, Chief Minister Sarma acknowledged that leaving a party after decades of association could create emotional strain but said Borah would begin a “new chapter” within the BJP and would be supported by the party organisation.
State BJP president Dilip Saikia also welcomed the new entrants, stating that their inclusion would strengthen the party’s grassroots network ahead of the elections. He said the leaders were inspired by the governance and development initiatives associated with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the state government led by Sarma, adding that Borah’s administrative experience and political background would contribute to the BJP’s organisational strength.
The political shift comes at a crucial time as Assam prepares for elections to its 126-member Assembly, with parties intensifying organisational efforts and realignments in the run-up to the polls.
