GUWAHATI — Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the Congress party’s future in the state looks “grim” after the resignation earlier in the day of Bhupen Borah, the former Assam Congress president. Sarma called Borah’s exit a “symbolic message” about internal dissatisfaction within the party and predicted further resignations in the coming weeks.
Speaking to reporters, Sarma said Borah’s departure reflected deepening unease inside the organisation. He described Borah as “the last Hindu leader in the Assam Congress who was neither an MLA nor a minister,” and accused him of raising concerns about “appeasement politics.” Sarma added that he welcomed the resignation but stressed that Borah had not approached the BJP to join.
“Bhupen Borah has not reached out to us for any joining. Tomorrow evening, I will visit his house. Three years ago, we were ready to welcome him and offer a safe seat,” Sarma said, framing the resignation as an opportunity that the BJP had previously extended.
On the state of the Congress in Assam, Sarma characterized the party’s position as “terrible,” pointing to what he said were changing internal dynamics. He alleged that district-level Congress meetings now often began with prayers associated with “a particular community,” and warned that “people are noticing these changes.”
Addressing the prospect of Congress leaders switching to the BJP, Sarma said the party would need “careful calibration” because of limited vacancies. He also suggested that several Congress MLAs might change sides after the ongoing Rajya Sabha election process, while noting the BJP was “not encouraging such moves at this moment.”
Sarma further predicted that senior Congress leader Debabrata Saikia would join the BJP after the 2026 Assembly elections, saying, “After the 2026 elections, Debabrata Saikia will come to the BJP. I will personally speak to his mother and bring him to the BJP.”
Bhupen Borah, a Congress veteran with more than three decades in the party, resigned citing self-respect and organisational failures, a move that has triggered intense political reactions across Assam and sharpened the spotlight on the state Congress’s leadership and prospects.
Original Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/guwahati/more-resignations-coming-cm-himanta-after-bhupen-borahs-exit-calls-congresss-assam-future-grim/articleshow/128413232.cms
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Publish Date: 2026-02-16 13:37:00
