Guwahati, March 19 – In a significant political development ahead of the Assam Assembly elections, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Nihar Ranjan Das, on Thursday, resigned from the party's primary membership after being denied a party ticket from the Dholai Assembly constituency in the Barak Valley region.
In a resignation letter addressed to the Assam BJP President Dilip Saikia, Das said that he had served the party "honestly and sincerely" as the MLA of Dholai Assembly constituency and had worked to strengthen the party's image among the people within a short span of time.
However, Das expressed disappointment that his contributions were not recognised and that he was deprived of a party ticket for the upcoming state polls.
"Therefore, I am tendering my resignation from the primary membership of BJP," he wrote, requesting the party leadership to accept his resignation and relieve him of all responsibilities.
The development comes shortly after the BJP announced Amiya Kanti Das as its candidate from the Dholai Assembly seat, replacing the sitting legislator Nihar Ranjan Das.
The decision appears to have triggered discontent within the local party unit, with Das choosing to step down soon after the announcement.
Dholai, a reserved constituency in southern Assam's Barak Valley, has been considered an important seat for the BJP in the region.
Party sources indicated that the ticket distribution was part of a broader strategy to reshuffle candidates and strengthen its electoral prospects.
The BJP, on Thursday, released its first list of candidates for the upcoming Assam Assembly elections, announcing nominees for 88 constituencies across the state.
The list features several prominent BJP leaders, including Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who will contest from Jalukbari, an Assembly seat he currently represents and is considered a BJP stronghold.
Senior Minister Chandramohan Patowary has been fielded from Tihu, while state Finance Minster Ajanta Neog will contest from her earlier seat, Golaghat.
In key urban constituencies, the BJP has nominated Pradyut Bordoloi from Dispur, Diplu Ranjan Sarmah from New Guwahati, and Vijay Kumar Gupta from Guwahati Central, signalling a strong focus on retaining hold over its bastion.
Bordoloi joined the BJP, snapping long ties with the Congress, on Wednesday in New Delhi and he also resigned from the post of Nagaon Lok Sabha MP.