Guwahati, Feb 17 Former Assam Congress chief Bhupen Borah resigned on Monday, triggering a political storm in the poll-bound state. Senior party leaders claimed that he reconsidered his resignation after intervention by the high command, while Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma publicly invited him to join the BJP.
AICC state in-charge Jitendra Singh claimed that Borah withdrew his resignation after party president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi spoke to him. However, Borah said he sought time from the high command to reconsider his decision.
"The party leadership has discussed the matter with Borah. Rahul Gandhi also spoke to him for 15 minutes," Singh told reporters here outside Borah's house.
"This is our internal matter; we discussed the issues bothering him in detail, and I thank him for agreeing to withdraw his resignation," he said.
Borah, however, said he 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 sought time until tomorrow morning so that I can talk to my family and make a decision," he said.
In a late-night interaction with reporters, Borah said he submitted his resignation after 32 years in the party and needs time to reconsider.
"The resignation letter has been sent, but the central leadership has said it will not accept it," Borah said, adding, "I cannot give directions to the central leadership, but I have asked for time to think about it and will inform them by tomorrow."
He said he was consulting senior leaders and well-wishers before taking a final call.
"Many senior leaders and colleagues have asked me to consider all aspects, but nobody has said that I did anything wrong by sending the resignation letter," he said.
Borah added that party workers from Bihpuria, the constituency he represented twice, are reaching out to him.
Responding to CM Sarma’s statement that he would visit Borah’s residence, he said, "If any CM wants to visit my home, it is a matter of pride for me."
Borah also drew a parallel with Sarma’s own political journey.
"Even Sarma was forced to leave the party as he was not made CM despite the support of 58 MLAs. Is this internal democracy? How long will this kind of politics continue? Somebody has to raise their voice, and I have done so," he said.
Earlier in the day, 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 -- father or mother not occupying a ministerial post or being an MLA.
"His resignation carries the symbolic message that in the Congress, no one from a normal family can prosper. Congress does not give recognition to people from ordinary families, but I hail from an ordinary middle-class family and the BJP has made me a chief minister. We stand opposite to the politics of blue blood," he told reporters.
Sarma said he will go to Borah's residence tomorrow evening, and discuss his plans for the future.
"If he wants to join the BJP, we will welcome him, but even if he does not want to do so, 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.
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 here, after he sent a letter to the party high command announcing his resignation.
Gogoi said Borah was a "pillar of strength" for the party, and he has always raised his voice against the negative forces active in the state.
"I apologise to him as a younger brother if he felt hurt due to certain issues in the party," he said.
In his resignation letter to Kharge, Borah claimed that he was being "ignored" by the party leadership and not being accorded his due in the state unit.
The United Opposition Forum, Assam, also appealed to Borah to withdraw his resignation with its spokesperson and Raijor Dal president Akhil Gogoi saying that the forum will not allow him to leave the opposition camp 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 comes. He was, is and will remain with us. Who will let him go...we will carry him everywhere with us," Gogoi 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.
