Ex-Assam Congress Chief Bhupen Borah To Join BJP On Feb 22: Himanta Sarma

Senior Assam leader Bhupen Borah, who quit the Congress ahead of the coming state elections, will stand by his decision and will join the BJP on February 22, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has said. "Bhupen Borah has decided to not withdraw his resignation and after our discussion, he has decided to join the BJP," Sarma told reporters today. 

Borah was asked to take time and rethink his decision to quit the party he has served for decades. But despite considerable firefighting by Rahul Gandhi and the party's state unit chief Gaurav Gogoi, he  --- after an hour-long meeting with  Sarma -- has decided to stand by his decision, the Chief Minister said.

Borah, who was appointed to the Congress Committee top post in 2021, quit the party after he was allegedly sidelined and over-ruled. 

In May last year, Gaurav Gogoi replaced him in the Congress state unit's top post. Although he was given the responsibility of the coalition committee, Gogoi was making all the important decisions.

Sources close to Bora said he was hurt by the party's disregard for his hard work. "The main reason is humiliation," Borah had told NDTV in an exclusive interview. 

"I have got through the same pain that Bhupen Borah went through," said Sarma who had also moved to the BJP after spending years in the Congress.  

The Congress, Sarma said, has "serious problems they don't want to address". They just want to "appease a particular person". 

"The Congress leadership is immature. They should have addressed the issues Bhupen Borah raised. Only Rahul Gandhi calling the disgruntled leader does not work. They should have made a genuine effort to retain Bhupen Borah," he added.