Guwahati: Marking a major political realignment in Assam, former Union Minister and four-time Nagaon MP Rajen Gohain on Wednesday formally joined the Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP), months after resigning from the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Gohain, once regarded as one of the BJP’s most influential leaders in the state, had quit the party on October 9 citing growing dissatisfaction with its leadership and ideological drift.
He joined the AJP at a ceremony held at the PWD Auditorium in Guwahati, accompanied by a group of supporters.
AJP president Lurinjyoti Gogoi, working president Chitta Basumatary, and senior leader Jagadish Bhuyan were among those who welcomed him into the party fold.
Speaking at the event, Gohain said his decision was guided by his desire to continue serving the people with integrity and dedication.
“Wherever I have worked, I’ve always tried to serve with honesty and sincerity. I intend to carry that forward with the AJP,” he said.
Taking aim at his former party, the veteran leader said the BJP had “lost touch with the ideals” of Atal Bihari Vajpayee and L.K. Advani.
“The party I joined is no longer the same. It has become personality-driven, detached from its founding values,” he said.
Gohain, who served as Minister of State for Railways in the first Narendra Modi government, had earlier submitted his resignation at the BJP’s state headquarters in Guwahati, sparking speculation about his next political step.
His entry into the AJP, a regional outfit born out of the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act movement, is seen as a boost for the party’s political momentum.
Party leaders said Gohain’s administrative experience and mass appeal would strengthen AJP’s position as a regional force ahead of upcoming elections.
