Guwahati: In a significant political development ahead of the Assam Assembly elections, former Assam Congress president Bhupen Kumar Borah formally joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday.
He was inducted into the ruling party in the presence of Assam BJP president Dilip Saikia at the party’s state headquarters, Vajpayee Bhawan, in Guwahati.
The defection marks a major setback for the Congress in the state’s political landscape.
Along with Borah, former Congress worker Sanju Bora also joined the BJP during the same programme, mentioned in this report.
Borah had tendered his resignation from the Congress on February 16, triggering swift efforts by the party’s central leadership to retain him.
The resignation was not immediately accepted, and senior Congress leaders rushed to his residence to persuade him to reconsider.
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Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also reportedly spoke to Borah, following which he sought time to review his decision.
However, political momentum shifted the very next day when Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma visited Borah’s residence and publicly announced that the former state Congress chief would formally join the BJP on February 22.
The development comes at a crucial time, with elections to the 126-member Assam Legislative Assembly expected to be held in March–April, setting the stage for intensified political realignments and campaign strategies across parties.
