Bhupen Borah Joins BJP, Appointed State Executive Committee Member

Guwahati:FormerAssam Pradesh Congress Committee(APCC) presidentBhupen Borahformally joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday and was appointed a member of the party’s State Executive Committee.The appointment was announced by Assam BJP presidentDilip Saikiaat a joining programme held at the party’s state headquarters, Vajpayee Bhawan, in Guwahati. The development comes at a politically significant moment, with elections to the 126-member Assam Assembly expected in March–April.Borah hadresignedfrom the Congress on February 16, triggering speculation about his political future. The Congress leadership reportedly did not immediately accept his resignation, and senior leaders, includingRahul Gandhi, are learnt to have reached out to him in an attempt to persuade him to reconsider his decision.Speaking after his induction into the BJP, Borah said his resignation from the Congress was not taken with the intention of joining another party.“I did not resign from the Congress with the plan to join the BJP. I stepped down in the hope that there would be introspection within the Congress regarding its shortcomings and a commitment to address them,” he said.He added that the visit by certain Congress leaders to his residence earlier in the week had “hurt his sentiments,” suggesting a growing estrangement between him and the party leadership.Borah was joined by several former Congress leaders and workers at the event. Among them were Sanju Bora, Rajesh Kumar Joshi, Kangkan Das and Gagan Chandra Bora, along with more than a dozen party workers.Sanju Boruah, another former Congress functionary who joined the BJP, was appointed a party media panelist. Former All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) leaderSankor Jyoti Baruah, who also entered the BJP fold during the programme, was likewise appointed as a media panelist by the state president.Related