Guwahati, February 16 Former Assam Congress chief Bhupen Borah has withdrawn his resignation after the party's high command intervened, AICC state in-charge Jitendra Singh claimed on Monday.
Singh asserted that Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and the AICC have not accepted his resignation.
"The party leadership has discussed the matter with Borah. Rahul Gandhi has also spoken to him for 15 minutes," Singh told reporters here outside Borah's house.
"This is our internal matter; we discussed in detail about the issues bothering him and I thank him for agreeing to withdraw his resignation," he said.
Emerging from his residence, Borah, however, said he has sought time from the Congress 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 till tomorrow morning so that I can talk to my family and take a decision in this regard," he said.
"The decision now is not only mine; I have to discuss it with my family, particularly with my brothers, whose business interests have been affected due to me being in the Congress," Borah said.
He added: “I, along with my brothers, 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 here, after he sent a letter to the party high command earlier in the day, 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.
"He has struggled and faced many challenges while raising his voice against those who indulge in activities detrimental to the interest of the nation," Gogoi said.
Borah is a "true Congressman, a courageous leader with Assamese culture, civilisation and the party ideology of taking everyone together to move ahead deeply embedded in his DNA”, he said.
"I apologise to him as a younger brother if he felt hurt due to certain issues in the party," he said.
"This is a complex matter for us.... we are also learning one step at a time, and hope that in future he will guide us so that not only the Congress, but the opposition parties, too, are strengthened," the Deputy Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha said.
"We have appealed to him from our heart to withdraw his resignation, and he has asked for time," Gogoi said.
"The opposition parties are also worried about his resignation, and many leaders called upon him to withdraw it in the interest of the state," Gogoi added.
Borah had earlier sent his resignation letter to Kharge. In the letter, he claimed that he was being "ignored" by the party leadership and not being accorded his due in the state unit.
He 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.
Assembly elections are due in Assam in a couple of months.
