'Congress Has No Funds To Contest Assam Polls': Ex State Chief Joins BJP

The Congress's Assam leadership knows it is going to lose the upcoming Assembly polls and does not even have funds to contest the election, former state Congress chief Bhupen Borah told NDTV right after joining the BJP today.

In an exclusive interview after joining the BJP at its Assam headquarters, Borah pointed out that Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma -- also a former Congressman -- realised at a point that the BJP was working for the nation and made the switch. "After meeting Home Minister Amit Shah, I became more convinced (about the BJP)," he said.

Borah resigned from the Congress last week, prompting damage control efforts by the high command. Senior leaders rushed to his home and the Leader of the Opposition, Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, spoke to him over the phone. Later, Chief Minister Sarma met Borah at his home and announced that he would join the BJP today.

Asked why the Congress leadership could not convince him to stay on, he replied, "My discussions with Congress failed because I asked uncomfortable questions to the party."

Borah alleged that the state leadership, now led by Assam Congress chief and MP Gaurav Gogoi, is focused on "appeasement". "How can I work in the Congress if everything is about appeasement? The Congress is only interested in 25 seats in Muslim-dominated areas. Assam Congress is influenced by (Dhubri MP) Rakibul Hussain. Gaurav Gogoi has sub-contracted Assam Congress to Rakibul Hussain," he said.

Borah has accused Gogoi of backing Hussain and sidelining him. Gogoi, who succeeded Borah as state party chief, has said the latter was a "pillar of strength" for the party. "I apologise to him as a younger brother if he felt hurt due to certain issues in the party," he said when the Congress was trying to convince Borah to stay.

Gogoi, he said, knows that the BJP will come to power after the upcoming polls. "Gaurav Gogoi and Rakibul Hussain are busy protecting their Lok Sabha seats. While Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah have been visiting Assam several times, Congress central leaders are hardly coming here," he said, adding that the party high command had not addressed his concerns about Gogoi.

"Congress does not have the money to fight the elections. They are collecting money from potential candidates. About 600 Congress ticket seekers would be willing to join the BJP," he claimed.

"Congress is calling me a traitor. Why did it not act against Assam MLAs who crossvoted in the last Rajya Sabha election?" he asked.

After joining the party, Borah said, "I didn't resign from the Congress thinking that I would join the BJP. I resigned thinking that a self-introspection would take place about the wrongs in the Congress, and expected a promise that it would be corrected." The leadership, however, hurt his sentiments, he said.

Welcoming him to the BJP, Sarma said there may be "some bitterness" that compelled him to leave the Congress after 32 years with the party. "From today, a new life starts in the BJP. He is a proud member of the party now. The BJP family will also take care of him, and give him love and respect," Sarma said.