Guwahati, February 18 – Senior Congress MLA and Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Debabrata Saikia categorically ruled out joining the BJP on Wednesday, aiming to put an end to intense political speculation triggered by recent remarks by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and the impending defection of former Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Bhupen Borah.
Saikia’s statement came in the context of CM Sarma’s repeated assertions that more Congress leaders would switch to the BJP after Borah’s scheduled joining of the ruling party on February 22, a development that has already deepened the crisis within the state Congress.
Without directly naming CM Sarma, Saikia said he had once admired the simplicity and personality of a particular leader but was later disappointed by comments that, according to him, hurt the sentiments of the people of Assam.
He added that the same leader subsequently acknowledged the warmth and inclusive nature of Assamese society, indicating a partial course correction. However, Saikia made it clear that ideological differences remain irreconcilable.
“In the name of Gandhian ideology, I cannot support any form of politics that divides the Assamese people,” he said, firmly rejecting the BJP’s political approach.
He asserted that he would not join the BJP under any circumstances and declared the issue “closed”.
In a pointed message amidst the turmoil within the Congress, Saikia said he values the guidance he received from senior leaders during his years in the Assembly but believes that meaningful political progress comes through sustained struggle, not through what he described as “shortcuts”.
These remarks are being seen as a direct response to CM Sarma’s claim that several Congress leaders, including Saikia, were in touch with the BJP leadership and could switch sides in the near future.
CM Sarma has also publicly suggested that the Congress party in Assam is heading towards organisational collapse, especially after Borah’s exit.
With Borah set to formally join the BJP on February 22, Saikia’s unequivocal stand positions him as one of the few senior Congress leaders attempting to project ideological consistency and internal resistance at a time when the party’s Assam unit is facing unprecedented political erosion.
