Ex-Congress MLA Sushanta Borgohain to join BJP today

Borgohain resigned from the Congress on Friday citing a changed internal political atmosphere within the Congress. His resignation was accepted by the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Bhupen Borah on Saturday.

Sushanta Borgohain, the two-time Congress legislator from the Thowra constituency in Assam's Jorhat district, is set to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday. Borgohain resigned from the party on Friday citing a changed internal political atmosphere within the Congress. His resignation was accepted by the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Bhupen Borah on Saturday.

For the past few months, the Congress has seen many of its leaders move to the BJP. (File photo)

Meanwhile, 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. Debabrata Saikia, the leader of opposition in the assembly, requested the speaker to take necessary action according to the Constitution's 10th Schedule and disqualify him. Following Borgohain's exit, the Congress’ strength in the 126-member House will come down to 27.

For the past few months, the Congress has seen many of its leaders move to the BJP. Jury Sharma Bordoloi, who was serving as the Guwahati district president of the Congress, resigned on June 18 and joined the BJP on July 2. Rajib Lochan Pegu, who was a minister in Tarun Gogoi’s cabinet, quit as the president of the Majuli district unit of Congress on July 6 amid speculations that he might also join the BJP.

In this year’s assembly elections in Assam, the Congress was a 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.

(With PTI inputs)