Guwahati, March 16: Pradyut Bordoloi on March 15 issued an ultimatum to the central leadership of the Indian National Congress, threatening to resign from the party over the selection of candidate for the Lahorighat seat in the upcoming Assam Legislative Assembly elections.
In a strongly worded communication addressed to Jitendra Singh, the Nagaon MP expressed “pain and anguish” over the party leadership’s decision regarding the candidature of sitting MLA Asif Mohammad Nazar.
Bordoloi also accused Gaurav Gogoi and senior Congress leader Imran Masood of subjecting him to humiliation during internal discussions on the issue.
In the letter, Bordoloi said his political life had been shaped by the Congress and that he had always taken pride in being a first-generation politician nurtured by the party. However, he said recent developments had left him deeply hurt.
“I am writing this letter to you with a lot of pain and anguish,” he wrote, adding that while political life often involves setbacks and insults, what he found “unpalatable and unfathomable” was the lack of camaraderie and understanding among senior colleagues.
The MP said his concerns were linked to a violent attack he faced in April 2025. According to Bordoloi, police in Nagaon arrested and chargesheeted Emdadul Islam, whom he described as a “history-sheeter” and a close associate of Nazar, as the alleged kingpin behind the attack.
Bordoloi alleged that on April 27, 2025, a group of nearly 20 assailants armed with iron rods and other weapons attacked the vehicle in which he was travelling with MLA Sibamoni Bora at Doomdoomia in Dhing.
He further claimed that the accused was given a “hero’s welcome” after securing bail, alleging that Nazar publicly received him and later took him to the residence of APCC president Gogoi. Bordoloi also alleged that on January 11 this year, the accused was felicitated at a programme attended by Gogoi.
The MP said he had immediately contacted the APCC chief to protest and share details about the alleged criminal background of the individual. However, he expressed shock that the same person was later seen seated on the stage behind Gogoi during a large party event in Morigaon.
Bordoloi said he subsequently presented evidence before the party’s screening committee chaired by Priyanka Gandhi, opposing Nazar’s candidature for the 2026 Assembly polls.
He further alleged that during a meeting of the Congress Central Election Committee in New Delhi on March 13, Imran Masood dismissed his claims as “false and fabricated” before senior leaders including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, leader Rahul Gandhi and AICC general secretary K C Venugopal.
Describing the episode as deeply humiliating, Bordoloi said the silence of the APCC president during the discussion compounded his distress.
“My humiliation before the entire leadership of the Congress party was deafeningly complete,” he wrote.
In the concluding part of the letter, Bordoloi reiterated that he had once again submitted evidence regarding the alleged criminal nexus and urged Jitendra Singh to intervene.
“As I go down fighting to protect my own dignity before the reactionary leadership of the state,” he wrote, signalling that his future in the party could depend on how the leadership responds.
Notably, Asif Mohammad Nazar was recently among four Congress members apprehended by Dispur police in Guwahati for allegedly transporting a truckload of printed leaflets containing allegations and objectionable material against Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
