kolkata: Ripun Bora, former president of Assam Pradesh Congress Committee, joined Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Sunday, severing his four-decade-old association with the grand old party.
He was also the former state Panchayat and Rural Development minister and Education minister. Bora joined TMC in presence of Abhishek Banerjee, party's national general secretary.
Welcoming him, Abhishek later tweeted: "Extending a very warm welcome to Shri @ripunbora, a stalwart and skilled politician, who joined the @AITCofficial family today. We are extremely pleased to have you on board and look forward to working together for the well-being of our people!"
Party Rajya Sabha MPs, Sushmita Dev and Derek O' Brien were also present at the meeting. Bora held a meeting with Banerjee.
In his resignation letter addressed to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, Bora mentioned as to why he was forced to 'take such a harsh decision of resigning from the party.'
'Instead of fighting unitedly and aggressively to prevent BJP at this critical juncture of the country, the leaders of this grand old party at different levels are fighting with each other for their vested interest," he wrote.
"I am very pained to inform you that it is an open secret in Assam that instead of fighting against BJP, a section of senior most leaders of Assam PCC have been maintaining a secret understanding with the BJP government," he added. Abhishek Banerjee is likely to visit Meghalaya on May 3 and 4. TMC is the main opposition party in Meghalaya.
The Assembly election will be held in 2023 and prior to the election the main purpose of the visit will be to strengthen the party. He is likely to visit Tripura where the Assembly election will be held in 2023.
He will inaugurate a party office. Trinamool got 25 per cent vote in the municipal election in Tripura. The joining of Bora is significant as Trinamool will select some areas and start its political activities there in view of the Lok Sabha election in 2024. Trinamool is organising its strength in Goa. Though it could not bag any seat in Goa in the Assembly election, it will organise the party base and work for the people for the next five years.