Assam election: Rumblings of discontent among BJP leaders dropped for recent recruits from Congress

Bhupen Borah, former Assam Congress president who joined the BJP last month, has been fielded from the Bihpuria constituency in place of sitting BJP MLA Amiya Kumar Bhuyan. Bhuyan had defeated Borah, then the Congress’s candidate for the constituency, in the 2021 election.

On Sunday, Bhuyan announced that he would be resigning from the BJP and that he is likely to contest as an Independent from the seat.

The biggest disappointment for a sitting MLA, however, was caused by the BJP giving the high-profile Dispur constituency to former Congress leader Pradyot Bordoloi, who had only joined the BJP one day before the party’s candidates were announced. He has been fielded instead of sitting BJP MLA Atul Bora, who has represented the constituency for five terms. Immediately after the announcement of Bordoloi’s candidacy, Bora went up in arms and announced that he would either contest from the seat independently or lend his support to Congress candidate Mira Borthakur.

However, after Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma met him, Atul Bora said on Sunday that he would drop his rebellion and that he has told Sarma that he intends to contest the 2029 Lok Sabha elections from Guwahati. The loudest outcry over the selection in Dispur has instead come from another senior BJP leader, Jayanta Das, who has resigned from the party.

“While being denied a party ticket during the elections has caused me pain, what has hurt me even more is the disregard for my 35 years of service. When the sentiments of a long-serving worker hold no value, it becomes impossible to remain while compromising one’s self-respect,” he said, announcing his resignation from the party.

Another sitting MLA, Nihar Ranjan Das, has resigned from the BJP after the party dropped him in favour of Amiya Kanti Das, and he has also announced his intention to contest as an Independent.

Other parties

Leaders disappointed by their party are not limited to the BJP. Sherman Ali Ahmed, a former Congress leader, has changed two parties over the last few months. Ahmed, who had been elected from Baghbor as a Congress MLA, joined the Raijor Dal on February 17 in the hope of being fielded by it from the Mandia constituency.

However, the Mandia constituency was not given to the Raijor Dal as part of its seat-sharing arrangements with the Congress, and Congress leaders are known to have opposed Ahmed being accommodated by the Raijor Dal. He then resigned from the party on Saturday and joined the All India Trinamool Congress on Sunday, and was announced as its candidate from the Mandia constituency the same day.

Another surprising move was the one made by Mankachar MLA and senior AIUDF leader Aminul Islam, who resigned from the party last week amid murmurs that he was likely to join the BJP. However, amid the competition for tickets, Islam has instead joined Conrad Sangma’s National People’s Party, which is yet to develop a footprint in Assam. The party has fielded him as its Mankachar candidate.