The two-time Congress legislator from the Thowra constituency in Assam’s Jorhat district, Sushanta Borgohain, has resigned from the party, citing a changed internal political atmosphere within Congress.
He is all set to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday. His resignation was also accepted by the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Bhupen Borah.
Also read: Another Blow for Assam Congress: 2 time Congress MLA Sushanta Borgohain set to join the ruling BJP
Various leaders of Congress party decide to resign and join BJP
By following Borgohain’s exit, the Congress’s strength in the 126-member House will come down to 27.
In the meantime, the Congress party on Saturday wrote a letter to the speaker of the state assembly, Biswajit Daimary, asking him to disqualify Borgohain as an MLA under the anti-defection law following his resignation from the party.
The leader of opposition in the assembly, Debabrata Saikia, requested the speaker to take necessary action according to the Constitution’s 10th Schedule and disqualify him.
APCC general secretary Barnali Saikia Bora, the officer on special duty (OSD) to former chief minister Tarun Gogoi, also resigned from Congress.
The 47-year-old is the second Congress MLA to jump ship to the BJP after four-time MLA Rupjyoti Kurmi, who was the lone legislator from the tea tribe community in Congress, resigned from the party and joined BJP.
Moreover, for the past few months, Congress has seen many of its leaders move to the BJP.
Assembly elections in Assam, 2021
In this year’s assembly elections in Assam, the Congress was part of the Mahajot alliance and won 26 seats.
Whereas the BJP won 60 of the total 126 seats and returned to power for a second consecutive time with the support of Asom Gana Parishad, which got nine seats, and United Peoples Party Liberal, which got six seats.
