Borah to announce his final decision on resignation from Congress by Tuesday night

Guwahati: Former Assam Congress chief Bhupen Borah, who has tendered his resignation from the party, said he would announce by Tuesday night his final decision on whether or not he would withdraw it, as asked by the central leadership. Speaking to reporters this morning, Borah said there are many issues he would like to discuss with his well-wishers, close associates and people of Lakhimpur district, from where he hails, before taking a final decision. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who had on Monday said the doors of the BJP were open for Borah and promised to "get him elected from a safe assembly seat" if he joined the saffron party, is likely to visit his residence in the evening. Borah launched an attack on a section of the Congress leaders without taking their names, saying he was prepared to stay in the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) but not in "APCC (R)", in an apparent reference to the party's Dhubri MP Rakibul Hussain. "I have also made this clear in my resignation letter to the high command," he added.

Hussain, however, did not react to this but said that Borah may have certain grievances but senior party leaders are talking to him and the matter will be resolved soon. Borah alleged that his name was suggested by several senior leaders as the party candidate for the by-election to the Samaguri assembly constituency, but he was denied the ticket. By-elections to Samaguri assembly constituency, which was held by Hussain, was necessitated following his election from the Dhubri Lok Sabha seat; and the party ticket was given to his son Tanzil Hussain, who lost the polls to BJP's Diplu Ranjan Sarmah. "In the 2021 assembly polls, several prominent Congress leaders had opposed the alliance with the AIUDF and I had written several times to the party high command regarding this. After the elections, the alliance was withdrawn and in the last Lok Sabha polls and Hussain was the biggest beneficiary, winning the seat by a record margin by defeating AIUDF leader Badruddin Ajmal," Borah claimed. He claimed that the Assam Congress was now divided into two camps -- APCC and APCC(R) -- and "many leaders want to remain in the Congress but not in APCC (R)". Borah, in a late night interaction with reporters on Monday, said he submitted his resignation after 32 years in the party and needs time to reconsider his decision. "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''. "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.

Responding to the CM'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 Congress as he was not made the CM despite having 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. Borah resigned on Monday, triggering a political storm in the state, where assembly elections are due in a couple of months, with AICC state in-charge Jitendra Singh claiming that Borah has withdrawn his resignation after party president Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leader Rahul Gandhi spoke to him, but the Congress leader asserted that he has sought time from the high command to reconsider his decision.