Congress MLA, shift to TMC, then U-turn: Ripun Bora's rise in Assam politics | 5 facts about the leader

Ripun Bora is a senior Congress leader from Assam and former Rajya Sabha MP as well as ex-Assam PCC president.

Published on: Apr 26, 2026, 12:11:05 IST

By Aditi Anand

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Ripun Bora is a senior leader of the Indian National Congress from Assam and has held major positions including Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha and former president of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee. He is considered one of the party’s experienced and influential figures in the state’s political landscape.

Ripun Bora is contesting from the Barchalla constituency as part of Congress’s strategy to field senior leaders in key battleground seats. (File Image)

In the 2026 Assam assembly elections, he is contesting from the Barchalla constituency as part of Congress’s strategy to field senior leaders in key battleground seats. He is facing Ganesh Kumar Limbu of the Bharatiya Janata Party, making it a direct Congress–BJP contest aimed at strengthening the opposition’s presence in central Assam.

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5 key facts about Ripun Bora

Ripun Bora began his mainstream electoral career with a win from Gohpur constituency in 2001, entering the Assam Legislative Assembly and establishing himself as a key Congress face in upper Assam politics. His early victory marked the beginning of over a decade of influence in state governance.
He served in the Assam government under chief minister Tarun Gogoi, holding important ministerial portfolios including education and rural development between 2002 and 2008, where he was involved in policy execution related to schooling infrastructure and rural welfare schemes.
In 2016, he was appointed President of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee, taking charge of organisational rebuilding and election strategy during a politically competitive phase for the Congress in Assam.
Also in 2016, he was elected to the Rajya Sabha, serving until 2022, where he represented Assam at the national level and participated in parliamentary debates and policy discussions.
In 2022, he left the Indian National Congress to join the Trinamool Congress, but returned to the Congress in 2024, re-entering Assam’s active political scene and continuing his role as a senior opposition leader in state politics.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Aditi Anand
Aditi Anand is an undergraduate student of English at Miranda House, University of Delhi, with an interest in media and the shifting dynamics of public discourse. She is particularly curious about how narratives are shaped, circulated, and received in contemporary spaces. Her work is informed by close observation and an engagement with everyday life, often examining the intersections of personal experience and broader social contexts. She is drawn to questions of voice, representation, and the ways in which perception is influenced by both language and environment. Beyond the newsroom, she is interested in literature and enjoys writing poetry, approaching it as a space for reflection and creative exploration alongside her analytical work. Her writing aims to balance clarity with nuance, focusing on presenting ideas in a way that is accessible while still engaging with their complexity. She approaches writing with intent and attentiveness, aiming to contribute meaningfully to conversations while continuing to develop a voice that is thoughtful and grounded.Read More

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