Ahead of the upcoming Assam Assembly elections, three suspended MLAs of the Indian National Congress, Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha, Basanta Das, and Sashi Kanta Das, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the party's state headquarters in Guwahati on Thursday.
The three were earlier suspended for anti-party activities by the Congress.
Their switchover comes within days of former Assam Congress president Bhupen Borah joining the BJP last month.
The leaders formally joined the BJP in the presence of Assam BJP president Dilip Saikia and others.
Addressing the media after the joining ceremony, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said, "Today three Congress MLAs have joined our party. This is a big day for the BJP. I am sure this joining reflects the growing popularity of the Bharatiya Janata Party and the respect people have for the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi."
Speaking to reporters after joining the BJP, Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha said the decision was taken in the interest of the nation and Assam's security.
"We have all joined together for the same purpose, which is our country, our nation, and the security of Assam. The BJP government has worked hard to take Assam forward in terms of development. Considering the security and development of the state, we felt that as citizens of Assam, we should stand with the BJP," he said.
Sashi Kanta Das described the day as historic for him and praised the work of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
"For me, the BJP is the most democratic party in the world, and today is a very historic day for me. The efforts made by Himanta Biswa Sarma to bring Assam forward have inspired me. For the development of Assam, I have joined the BJP today," he said.
Basanta Das also expressed support for the BJP government and said he believes joining the party will help further the development of his constituency.
"Today I joined the party in the presence of state president Dilip Saikia and chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. I believe that by working with the BJP, the development of my constituency will accelerate further," he said.
The joining of the three suspended Congress MLAs comes at a politically significant time as parties begin to intensify preparations for the upcoming Assam Assembly elections.
