Guwahati, March 19 After Assam MP Pradyut Bordoloi quit the Congress to join the BJP, his son Prateek has decided not to contest as a nominee of the grand old party from the Margherita assembly constituency in the upcoming assembly polls.
In a letter to Congress president and chairman of the Central Election Committee Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday, Prateek said he would continue to remain a party member.
Prateek was named by the Congress as its candidate for Margherita, a seat his father had represented in the assembly for four terms, in its first list released earlier this month.
Prateek, in the letter that was shared with reporters on Thursday, said that after his father's decision to join another party, it would not be appropriate for him to continue as a Congress candidate from Margherita.
"With utmost respect and a deep sense of responsibility towards the party, I wish to convey my decision to withdraw my candidacy from the Margherita assembly constituency," he said.
"I believe that the people of Margherita and the countless dedicated Congress workers deserve absolute clarity and confidence in the party's candidate," Prateek said.
Prateek asserted that he will continue to work for the party in whatever capacity the leadership deems appropriate, adding that his decision "is guided purely by my respect for the organisation and desire to uphold the values and discipline of the Congress party".
Mentioning his association with the party from a very young age, he said its ideals have shaped his political thinking and expressed his gratitude to the leadership for the trust and encouragement extended to him over the years.
His father, a Congressman for over five decades, resigned from the grand old party on Tuesday and joined the BJP the next day.
The elections to the 126-member Assam assembly will be held on April 9. Votes will be counted on May 4.