Guwahati, Feb 16 – Former Assam Congress chief Bhupen Borah's resignation on Monday triggered a political storm in the poll-bound state. The party's leadership claimed he had withdrawn it, requesting time to reconsider. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma extended an open invitation to him to join the BJP.
AICC state in-charge Jitendra Singh said Borah had withdrawn his resignation following intervention by the party brass, including president Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leader Rahul Gandhi.
"The party leadership discussed the matter with Borah. Rahul Gandhi also spoke to him for 15 minutes," Singh told reporters here outside Borah's house.
"This is an internal matter. We discussed the issues that were bothering him, and I thank him for agreeing to withdraw his resignation," he said.
Emerging from his residence, Borah said he had sought time from the high command to reconsider his decision.
"My old colleagues and the party's central leadership came to my house, and I respect them. I have requested time until tomorrow morning so that I can talk to my family and make a decision," he said.
"The decision now is not only mine. I have to discuss it with my family, particularly my brothers, whose business interests have been affected due to my involvement in the Congress," Borah said.
He added, "Along with my brothers, I will meet Singh and let him know about my decision (by tomorrow morning)."
Senior Congress leaders, including Singh, Assam unit chief Gaurav Gogoi, MP Pradyut Bordoloi, leader of opposition in the Assembly Debabrata Saikia, and other party MLAs, met Borah at his residence. They had received a letter from him announcing his resignation earlier in the day.
Gogoi said Borah was a "pillar of strength" for the party, and he had always raised his voice against negative forces in the state.
"Borah is a true Congressman, a courageous leader with Assamese culture, civilization, and the party ideology of bringing everyone together, deeply embedded in his DNA," he said.
"I apologize to him as a younger brother if he felt hurt due to certain issues within the party," he said.
"This is a complex matter for us. We are also learning one step at a time, and we hope that in the future, he will guide us so that not only the Congress, but also other opposition parties, will be strengthened," the Deputy Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha said.
Borah had earlier sent his resignation letter to Kharge. In the letter, he claimed that he was being "ignored" by the party leadership and that he was not receiving due recognition in the state unit.
Chief Minister Sarma said the BJP's doors were open for Borah and promised to help him get elected from a "safe seat" if he joined.
Sarma said Borah was the "last Hindu leader" in the Congress without a family background – his father or mother not holding a ministerial post or being an MLA.
"His resignation carries a symbolic message that in the Congress, no one from a normal family can prosper. The Congress does not give recognition to people from ordinary families, but I come from an ordinary middle-class family, and the BJP has made me a chief minister. We stand opposite to the politics of hereditary privilege," he told reporters here outside the Assembly.
Sarma said he would go to Borah's residence tomorrow evening to discuss his plans for the future.
"Borah has not contacted me or the BJP until now, and at present, we are not in direct or indirect contact," the CM said.
"If he wants to join the BJP, we will welcome him, but even if he does not, we extend our best wishes to him," he said.
Borah was the president of the Assam Congress unit from 2021 to 2025, and was replaced by Gaurav Gogoi last year. He has been a two-time legislator in Assam.
The United Opposition Forum, Assam, also appealed to Borah to withdraw his resignation. Its spokesperson and Raijor Dal president Akhil Gogoi said that the forum would not allow him to join the BJP at any cost.
"No one from the united opposition will let him join the BJP, even if PM Narendra Modi or Home Minister Amit Shah come. He was, is, and will remain with us. Who will let him go…we will carry him everywhere," Gogoi said.
Borah is hurt due to some issues in the Congress, but their party leaders "are talking to him, and we expect the matter to be resolved soon," he added.
"Even if he does not stay in the Congress, be assured that he will not join the BJP. He will be the senior-most leader of the forum, and if he does not agree to even this, then I will relinquish the president's post of Raijor Dal, but will not allow such an experienced person to join the BJP," the independent MLA from Sivasagar said.
The CM is trying to create confusion in the minds of the common people by spreading the false narrative that Borah will join the BJP, but "this will not happen...we will not let it happen," Gogoi added.
