Guwahati, Feb 16: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on February 16 termed the resignation of former Assam Congress president Bhupen Kumar Borah a “symbolic message,” alleging that the move reflects the Indian National Congress’s neglect of leaders from ordinary families and Hindu communities in the state.
Reacting to Borah’s departure, Sarma accused the Assam Congress of increasingly pursuing appeasement politics and prioritising minority representation in its candidate selection process. He claimed that Borah was the last prominent Hindu leader in the state unit who was neither an MLA nor a minister, and that his exit signals growing dissatisfaction within the party’s traditional support base.
The Chief Minister suggested that Borah’s resignation may not be an isolated incident. According to Sarma, more leaders — including grassroots workers and sitting MLAs — are likely to quit the Congress in the coming days, potentially deepening political uncertainty within the party ahead of the Assembly elections.
However, Sarma clarified that any move to induct defecting Congress leaders into the Bharatiya Janata Party would require careful planning. He pointed to seat-sharing calculations and the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections as factors that demand strategic consideration before accommodating new entrants.
Sarma also revealed that efforts had previously been made to bring Borah into the BJP fold. He added that he plans to visit Borah’s residence for discussions, further intensifying speculation about possible political realignments in Assam as the state heads toward the 2026 Assembly polls.
