BREAKING: Senior BJP Leader and Former Assam President Rajen Gohain Resigns

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Rajen Gohain has formally resigned from the party today. Gohain, a former BJP state president and four-time MP from Nagaon, visited the party headquarters at Atal Bihari Vajpayee Bhawan to submit his resignation, addressing the state president Dilip Saikia. During the first term of the Modi government, on July 5, 2016, he also served as Minister of State for Railways.

Gohain has represented the erstwhile Nowgong constituency (now Nagaon) since 1999, winning elections consecutively in 2004, 2009, and 2014. He has been associated with the BJP since 1991 and is considered one of the party’s senior-most leaders in Assam.

2023: Resignation from Assam Food and Civil Supplies Corporation

Earlier in 2023, Gohain resigned as chairman of the Assam Food and Civil Supplies Corporation, a cabinet-rank post, in protest against the delimitation of the Nagaon Lok Sabha constituency. He had warned that the new delimitation would render the seat “unwinnable for BJP candidates in the future” and “put the people of the constituency under threat due to demographic change.”

Gohain said his discussions with Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma “did not bring any positive outcome.” He also claimed to have informed Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who asked him to submit his recommendations in writing, but he said that “it did not bring any positive outcome.” Expressing disappointment, he said, “I feel betrayed and almost disrespected that a senior member like myself was not heard by his own party leaders on a genuine concern for the party's benefit.”

Speaking to reporters, Gohain noted that while the delimitation of assembly constituencies was fair for indigenous populations, the Nagaon parliamentary constituency had become “a gift” to opposition parties. He recalled that BJP’s rise in Assam began after his victories in Nagaon and his tenure as state president, but the 2014 alliance with AGP led to the party losing the seat to Congress in the next election. He emphasized the need for balanced power within the party and warned against internal divisions among Hindus.

Political Tensions and Speculation

Speculation has been rife that Gohain may join the Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) led by Lurinjyoti Gogoi. Gohain, however, has refrained from making any official statement. He recently held a three-hour closed-door meeting with key leaders from his faction at Mayabini Restaurant in Milan Nagar, Dibrugarh, on Saturday. “You will come to know if there is any communication with the AJP or any other political party. So far, nothing of that sort has happened,” he told reporters.

Gohain’s dissatisfaction with the BJP leadership stems from being denied a ticket in last year’s elections and disagreements over party functioning under Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. A BJP source said, “If Rajen Gohain joins AJP, it will be a major jolt to the BJP. Gohain is well known for his strategies and knows party functioning, but he was not happy with the current functioning of the BJP under the CM.”

Earlier Confrontations with Party Leadership

In 2024, Gohain made anti-party remarks during polling, prompting CM Himanta Biswa Sarma to respond. Sarma criticized Gohain, saying that speaking against the party on polling day was “an insult to Prime Minister Modi” and warned that action would be taken against those who violate party discipline after the elections.

Gohain remains a significant figure in Assam politics, and his resignation underscores ongoing tensions within the BJP ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.

Also Read: “Not What We Expected”: Rajen Gohain Voices Discontent Over BJP Leadership