BREAKING: Bhupen Borah Joins BJP, Assam CM Confirms

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday confirmed that former Assam Congress president Bhupen Borah will join the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on February 22. This comes after Borah tendered his resignation on Monday and also signalled various factors, further highlighting the internal cracks in the Congress.

Sarma today visited Bhupen Borah at his Guwahati residence, and the meeting went on for about an hour. After the meeting, the duo addressed a press conference during which the Assam CM confirmed Borah's joining. In addition, Sarma also said that several other Congress leaders and workers will join before the elections.

He said, "Today, I came to meet the former APCC president as well as chairman of Congress campaign committee Bhupen Borah, who happens to be my former colleague. We worked together for almost 22 years; in fact, we joined together. I left a little early. He has left Congress already and will join the BJP on February 22. Along with him, a good no of Congress leaders will join in Guwahati as well as in North Lakhimpur. His joining will obviously strengthen the party."

"As I told in the morning, I think he is the last recognised Hindu leader in the Congress party. So, we are very happy to have him at our party. Our national president, Natin Nabin, has approved his joining; he welcomed him. Bhupen Borah will be given all sorts of respect and dignity. We will always respect his stature and joinng BJP for him will be like a homecoming because there are people like us, whose fathers did not occupy any high offices. So, this is a party of simple people from a simple family. I think he will enjoy his new home," Sarma added.

The Chief Minister further said, "I think, as I told you, he is the last recognised Hindu leader in the Congress. Pradyut Bordoloi is a Hindu leader, but he wins from a seat where 90 per cent of the people belong to another religion. Bhupen Borah used to fight from Bihpuria. Last time, he lost by a narrow margin. His politics is primarily within the Assamese community. So, he is the last recognised Hindu leader in the Congress party. His joining will completely create a perception that is a reality also, that Congress is no longer a party of Assamese mainstream people."

"This is my respect for Bhupen Borah, that I waited before visiting him personally. We had talked yesterday, after his resignation, that he would join the BJP. He can contest from any seat, even from Jalukbari. Our party will decide on that. However, the party wants Bhupen Borah to contest from a good seat from the point of view of the BJP. Someone of Bhupen Borah’s stature does not change parties based on promises. He only did so after he was completely crushed by the party’s negligence towards him," he added.

Congress Left Red-Faced

Sarma's assertion came a day after Borah's resignation caused a major upheaval in the state Congress unit. Senior leaders, including Jitendra Singh and Gaurav Gogoi, had rushed to meet him and understand his concerns and mitigate them. A confident Singh had claimed that the party did not accept his resignation, and Bhupen Borah had also retracted after reconciliatory talks.

Borah, however, maintained that he needed more time and will inform the Congress leadership as well as the media about his next course of action. He indicated being hurt both politically and personally. Without taking any names, he indicated that the APCC had turned into APCC(R), which he was not willing to be a part of.

Also Read: "I Won’t Work in APCC (R)": Bhupen Borah’s Message to Congress Leadership