“BJP Has Become the Main Enemy of Assamese”: Rajen Gohain After Stepping Down

Senior BJP leader and four-time Nagaon MP Rajen Gohain has formally resigned from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), expressing deep dissatisfaction with the party’s current leadership and direction in Assam.

Gohain, a former BJP state president and Minister of State for Railways during the first term of the Modi government in 2016, submitted his resignation at the party headquarters at Atal Bihari Vajpayee Bhawan.

Speaking to the media on Thursday, he said, “I have been patient for a long time. But it's highly dissatisfying. We did not join this party to watch people’s faces. We came here to see the ideals of Atal Bihari Vajpayee and LK Advani. Now the party has gone into someone else’s hands. Only a regional party can serve Assam’s interests. Bodoland People's Front (BPF) chief Hagrama Mohilary is now the core of the regional party. Will take a decision soon.”

He also added, “The BJP has become the main enemy of the Assamese. I am not a self-sacrificing person, nor can I amass wealth like the current state BJP president Dilip Saikia. I thought party leaders would act independently, but nothing has changed. The Chief Minister listens to no one and does as he pleases.”

Gohain has represented the erstwhile Nowgong constituency (now Nagaon) since 1999, winning four consecutive terms in 1999, 2004, 2009, and 2014. He has been associated with the BJP since 1991.

Earlier in 2023, he resigned as chairman of the Assam Food and Civil Supplies Corporation in protest against the delimitation of the Nagaon Lok Sabha constituency, arguing that the changes would make it “unwinnable” for the BJP in future elections.

His resignation marks a significant development in Assam politics, highlighting internal dissatisfaction within the BJP and raising questions about the party’s strategy in the state ahead of upcoming elections.

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