BJP opens doors for Bhupen Borah after quitting Congress ahead of Assam polls

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday said the Bharatiya Janata Party’s doors were open for former Assam Congress president Bhupen Borah, hours after he resigned from the Congress ahead of the upcoming state assembly elections. Sarma said he would visit Borah’s residence to discuss his future plans and extended best wishes to him, whether or not he decides to join the BJP.

Borah submitted his resignation to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge earlier in the day, claiming that he was being “ignored” by the party leadership and not given his due within the state unit. His exit is seen as a setback for the Congress in Assam, especially with elections approaching. Borah had served as Assam Congress chief from 2021 to 2025 and is a two-time legislator.

Speaking to reporters, Sarma said Borah had not contacted him or the BJP so far, and that there had been no direct or indirect communication. However, he said that if Borah chose to join the BJP, he would be welcomed and could even be fielded from a “safe seat” in the elections. The chief minister added that he would visit Borah in his “difficult time”, recalling that both had joined the Congress around the same period before Sarma left after 22 years.

Sarma also commented on Borah’s resignation letter, claiming it contained references to alleged appeasement politics within the Congress and internal leadership dynamics. He alleged that certain party leaders were exerting influence over organisational decisions and electoral strategies, and suggested that Borah’s exit carried a “symbolic message” about opportunities for leaders from ordinary backgrounds.

In a series of political assertions, the chief minister further claimed that more Congress leaders would leave the party in the coming years and criticised its internal structure and direction. The developments mark a fresh escalation in political tensions in Assam as parties prepare for the next round of electoral contests.