Why Assam Congress is in crisis ahead of Assembly elections: Borah’s resignation, Saikia exit buzz and BJP’s outreach

With Assembly Elections just a couple of months away, the Assam unit of the Congress party was rattled this week with the sudden resignation of Bhupen Borah, a senior leader and former state chief. The resignation exposed the fault lines within the state unit of the Congress party and the discontent over Gogoi’s appointment as the new Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) chief last year, replacing Borah.

In his resignation letter sent to Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge, Borah had reportedly mentioned Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s Pakistan link allegations against Gogoi, claiming they have hit the party’s image across the state.

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“The image of the Congress party stands gravely impaired…following Shri Gaurav Gogoi’s failure to offer a clear and unequivocal response to the serious allegations concerning alleged links with Pakistan,” Borah stated.

He also alleged humiliation by Gaurav Gogoi, claiming he was marginalised at the hands of the Assam Congress chief and Dhubri Lok Sabha MP Rakibul Hussain.

Even after his resignation, Borah, however, said that he would reconsider his resignation if senior leaders Pradyut Bordoloi and Debabrata Saikia convinced him that the party unit was functioning in its true spirit.

Hours after Borah tendered his resignation, Congress Assam in-charge Jitendra Singh said the senior leader has “withdrawn” the resignation after party leadership, including Rahul Gandhi, held a long conversation with him. Gogoi also visited Borah and praised him as a “strong Congress leader”, who is an asset to the party.

BJP’s outreach

Soon after Borah’s resignation, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that the disgruntled Congress leader is welcome to join the BJP. CM Sarma, who himself had deserted the Congress in 2015 to join the BJP, described Borah as the “last Hindu leader” in the Congress party without a family background. He even went a step further and offered a “safe seat” to Borah to contest the upcoming Assembly elections.

“His resignation carries the symbolic message that in Congress, no one from a normal family can prosper. Congress does not give recognition to people from ordinary families, but I hail from an ordinary middle-class family, and the BJP has made me a chief minister. We stay opposite to the politics of blue blood,” the Assam CM said after meeting Borah on Tuesday. He also announced that Borah will join the BJP on February 22.

Himanta’s claim adds to the churn within the Congress

The Chief Minister further claimed that more Congress leaders could follow suit. He specifically hinted that Leader of Opposition Debabrata Saikia may also leave the party – a claim that added to the churn within the Assam Congress.

However, Saikia firmly denied speculation about quitting the Congress and criticised the BJP for divisive politics. Saikia also expressed disappointment over Borah’s decision to quit the Congress and join the BJP.

“Anyone who has the public service at heart, who wants to do politics as a public servant, will do so for policy and ideals. We have no good feelings for this outside party, that divides Assamese society in the name of ideology, so I won’t join the BJP,” Saikia said.

‘Borah leaked Congress info to Himanta’

As Borah blamed Gogoi and his aids for his decision to resign, the Assam Congress chief insinuated that the disgruntled leader was leaking party information to a journalist close to Himanta Biswa Sarma.

“There were many rumours regarding the close relationship between Himanta Biswa Sarma and Bhupen Bora. We tried our best not to believe these rumours and speculation. We always wondered as to how the information relating to confidential meetings was known to a particular journalist close to Himanta Biswa Sarma,” he said.

The Assam Congress chief said that the rumours turned out to be true as Bhupen Borah had no qualms about joining the BJP and surrendering to Himanta Biswa Sarma just a day after quitting the Congress, suggesting that the high-profile exit may be the BJP’s doing.

With its former state unit chief gone to the BJP fold and speculation about the Leader of Opposition’s possible defection, the Congress’s hopes of a political comeback in Assam have taken a major hit ahead of the Assembly elections, signaling a tough road ahead for Gaurav Gogoi.