Assam: Congress faces another setback ahead of polls, Sarma warns of more

A day after resigning from the Congress, Lok Sabha MP Pradyut Bordoloi joined the rival BJP in the presence of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, citing “persistent internal humiliation and a lack of support from the party leadership”. “There is not just one reason. I was feeling suffocated and humiliated,” he said after joining the BJP almost on the eve of the Assam elections scheduled for April 9.

Coming less than a month after former Congress state president Bhupen Kumar Borah jumped ship to the BJP, the move marks another setback for the Congress in Assam. Bordoloi was one of the three Congress MPs from the state and represented the Nagaon Lok Sabha seat.

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Sarma, meanwhile, said more Congress leaders were on their way into the BJP, with names like Navajyoti Talukdar—who recently resigned as state vice president—expected soon. “Several leaders will join in the next two to three days. We are finalising our candidate list as well,” he said, adding that Bordoloi’s induction would strengthen the party.

The BJP may field Bordoloi in the upcoming polls.

A committed Congress member since 1975, Bordoloi said his decision to quit was driven by “self-respect” rather than electoral considerations. Accusing the Congress leadership of sidelining him, he said getting a ticket was never an issue with him. “I want to make it very clear that I am in my second term in the Lok Sabha, and there are another three years to go. I could have accepted the humiliation if I wanted to remain an MP, but I decided to leave and work for the people,” he said.

Bordoloi’s exit is part of a string of defections that have weakened the Congress in Assam ahead of the elections. Incidentally, his son, Prateek Bordoloi, has been fielded by the Congress from the Margherita constituency—raising questions about how this family’s political split will manifest electorally. Exits and new entrants are expected to reshape not just the party ranks but also the complexion of the state’s electoral landscape.

Borah, a two-time MLA once seen as a key organisational figure, too, justified his decision by blaming the party leadership. He claimed the party had drifted away from the inclusive legacy of former Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and alleged a lack of leadership under Gaurav Gogoi.

According to political observers, high-profile defections can influence voter perception and electoral momentum.

Similar crossovers in states like Karnataka (2019), Madhya Pradesh (2020), and Maharashtra (2022) led to dramatic shifts in power, with crossover leaders securing influential positions.

Leaders who joined the BJP over the past decade have helped strengthen the party while weakening the Congress. Such crossovers by senior leaders are often used to send a signal that the original party is weakening or has lost its ideological moorings. Then there are also tangible political benefits. According to sources, Sarma has made it clear that the BJP will take care of Bordoloi’s interests.

Sarma himself left the Congress to become the Chief Minister of Assam as a BJP leader. The move marked one of the most significant shifts in Northeast politics towards right-wing Hindu nationalism, with a focus on illegal immigration. Sarma once said that had he become a Congress Chief Minister, history would have remembered him with disgrace, as he would not have been able to work for Sanatan Dharma or the Assamese people. “I thank Rahul Gandhi for not making me a CM then,” he then quipped.

The Assam Assembly elections for all 126 constituencies will be held in a single phase on April 9, with counting scheduled for May 4. The main contest is between the BJP-led NDA, seeking a third consecutive term, and the Congress, aiming to regain power.