Assam: Two-time Congress MLA Sushanta Borgohain joins BJP

Welcoming him to the party, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma Sunday tweeted: “I am glad to have met Hon MLA of Thowra Sri Sushanta Borgohain, who resigned from @INCIndia on July 31, & will join @BJP4India today. Young, and energetic, his joining our fold will strengthen and benefit the party immensely. I welcome him to the BJP Pariwaar.”

Speaking to reporters later, Sarma said that with Borgohain joining BJP, Congress has become almost “non-existent” in upper Assam. “Before, the Congress names we would associate Upper Assam with were Rupjyoti Kurmi, Sushanta Borgohain and Debabrata Saikia…I wouldn’t say the Congress is totally non-existent there…but almost,” said Sarma.

Borgohain, 43, has been associated with the Congress since his student days. He won from Thowra in 2011, but lost in 2016. In the 2021 polls, he defeated BJP MLA Kushal Dowari by approximately 2000 votes.

After joining the BJP on Sunday, Borgohain told reporters in Guwahati: “I felt that I could not serve the public and my constituency as much as I hoped to while I was with the Congress. I have left because of internal differences, though I do not want to comment on them now. With this step, I wish to serve my people better, and work towards a stronger Assam.”

Meanwhile, newly-appointed Assam Pradesh Congress Committee President Bhupen Kumar Bora has dispatched a committee to Thowra to “take stock of the political situation” and to “interact with the grass root party workers.”

With Borgohain’s resignation, Congress’ seat share in the 126-member Assembly has reduced to 27.