Guwahati, February 17 Suspended Congress MLA Sherman Ali Ahmed joined the Raijor Dal on Tuesday, becoming the second legislator from Assam's main opposition party to switch to the Akhil Gogoi-led outfit in two days.
Ahmed's move, weeks ahead of the announcement of assembly elections, came shortly after former state Congress president Bhupen Kumar Borah quit the party to join the BJP.
The three-time MLA from Baghbor constituency was welcomed into the Raijor Dal by Gogoi and other senior leaders of the party at a programme in Kalgachia in Barpeta district.
Addressing the gathering, Ahmed said he will be seeking nomination from the Mandia constituency in the assembly elections, the first to be held in the state after delimitation.
He claimed that he was ousted from the AIUDF and the Congress because he was "voicing against injustice and on behalf of the poor and marginalized sections".
"I will continue to fight for the rights of the people and will seek the support of the public for it," he added.
Welcoming Ahmed, Gogoi said the Raijor Dal was committed to working for the welfare of the people, especially the economically disadvantaged and those denied their basic rights.
Ahmed, a former government official, was first elected to the assembly in 2011 as an AIUDF member.
After being expelled from the AIUDF, he joined the Congress and went on to win the same Baghbor seat in 2016 and 2021.
He was, however, suspended from the Congress in October 2021 for "repeatedly violating party discipline".
He was also arrested before the suspension over "provocative" remarks he had allegedly made against an eviction drive in Darrang district of the state in September that year.
Another three-time MLA of the Congress, Abdur Rashid Mandal, had joined the Raijor Dal on Monday.
