Congress faces another setback in Assam as MLA Sushanta Borgohain is set to join BJP

Another setback awaits Congress in Assam after losing the Assembly polls as Thowra MLA Sushanta Borgohain is likely to switch allegiance to BJP very soon. After Congress was trounced in the election, 4-time party MLA Rupjyoti Kurmi too had joined BJP days after resigning as a legislator on June 18. On Wednesday, the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee served a show-cause notice to Borgohain asking for clarification on his political future by July 31. 

The notice read, “It has come to the notice of Hon’ble President, Assam Pradesh Congress Committee that, the State President of BJP Shri Bhabesh Kalita has made a statement that you are going to join the BJP shortly". Notably, Congress' erstwhile Guwahati district chief Jury Sharma Bordoloi had left the party on the same day as Kurmi and taken membership of the saffron party on July 2. Speculation is rife that ex-Minister Rajib Lochan Pegu who stepped down as the Congress' Majuli district chief on July 6 is also likely to join BJP. 

Even before the polls, BJP had welcomed senior Congress leader Ajanta Neog into its fold and has been allocated the Finance portfolio in the Himanta Biswa Sarma-led Cabinet. Borgohain's possible induction into BJP is perceived as an attempt to give a robust representation to the Ahom community. The vacant seats in the 126-member Assam Assembly will rise to 4 if the Thowra MLA indeed puts in his papers.

NDA retains Assam

The 15-year tenure of Tarun Gogoi as the Chief Minister of Assam came to an end in the 2016 Assembly polls with BJP winning 86 seats as against 26 seats won by Congress. In a blow for BJP in the lead-up to the 2021 Assembly election, its ally Bodoland People's Front (BPF) decided to join the Congress-led alliance. While BJP contested 92 seats, it allocated 26 and 8 seats to Asom Gana Parishad and the United People's Party Liberal respectively. On the other hand, Congress formed a grand alliance with BPF, AGM, AIUDF, CPI, CPI(M), CPI(ML), RJD and JPP. 

However, the opposition tie-up proved to be no match for NDA as the latter managed to retain power in the state. As part of the ruling alliance, BJP, AGP and UPPL won 60, 9 and 6 seats respectively. As far as Mahajot is concerned, Congress secured 29 seats followed by AIUDF, BPF and CPI(M) whose candidates won in 16, 4 and 1 constituencies respectively. Most of the prominent candidates including CM Sarbananda Sonowal, Himanta Biswa Sarma and AGP president Atul Bora won their seats with a convincing margin. However, the then Assam Congress chief Ripun Bora suffered a shock defeat in Gohpur. 

(With PTI inputs)