Rising discontent within the Assam unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has surfaced ahead of the Assembly polls, with several sitting MLAs and aspirants denied tickets threatening to run as Independents, prompting senior leaders to intervene. The unrest-sparked mainly by the induction and immediate nomination of former Congress leaders Pradyut Bordoloi and Bhupen Borah for Dispur and Bihpuria-has unsettled long-serving party workers who had expected to be fielded. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and state BJP president Dilip Saikia have both stepped in to try to calm tensions as polling is scheduled for April 9 and counting for May 4.
The sharpest backlash has come from Dispur, where veteran BJP leader Jayanta Das, once seen as a frontrunner, resigned and signalled he is likely to contest as an Independent, accusing Sarma of turning the party into a “Congress BJP.” Das claims his supporters have already begun the nomination process. In a separate development, Atul Bora, a long-time representative of his constituency, was denied a ticket; Bora hinted he might run independently, and Sarma made a personal visit to defuse the situation, though Bora has not announced his next step.
Ticket denials have also caused friction in New Guwahati and Guwahati Central. Former minister Siddhartha Bhattacharya said he was not upset with the party but remained non-committal about his electoral role, while Ramendra Narayan Kalita expressed displeasure, prompting another intervention by the chief minister. Bhattacharya was replaced by sitting MLA Diplu Ranjan Sarma, who reportedly met him to seek support. In Guwahati Central, Kalita’s replacement by Vijay Gupta has drawn mixed reactions from party ranks.
Tensions extended to Bihpuria after Bhupen Borah was fielded in place of sitting MLA Amiya Kumar Bhuyan, who is weighing an independent run after consulting supporters. Former Jorhat MP Topon Kumar Gogoi is also considering contesting independently from Sonari under pressure from his base. In Barak Valley, MLAs Nihar Ranjan Das, Dipayan Chakraborty and Mihir Kanti Som have expressed dissatisfaction after being denied tickets; minister Jayanta Malla Baruah has been deputed to engage with them.
Sarma downplayed the dissent, noting the party had more than 1,400 aspirants and that it prioritised fresh candidates who have strengthened grassroots organisation. He also cited the 2023 delimitation exercise, saying 19 sitting MLAs were denied tickets as a result. Saikia expressed confidence disgruntled leaders would fall in line. Opposition leaders seized on the issue: Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi accused the BJP of effectively becoming a “Congress led by Sarma.” The BJP is contesting 90 of the 126 Assembly seats; 28 candidates are former Congress members who joined the party after 2015.
Original Source: https://nenews.in/assam/assam-bjp-crisis-himanta-dilip-saikia-reach-out-to-leaders-eyeing-independent-contest/45511/
Category: Assam,Politics,Assam BJP,Assembly elections,Dilip Saikia,Himanta Biswa Sarma
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Publish Date: 2026-03-22 13:59:00
