Assam Congress Faces Turbulence as BJP Predicts Further Resignations After Bhupen Borah Exit

Guwahati: The political temperature in Assam has risen sharply after senior BJP leader Biswajit Phukan claimed that more leaders would quit the Congress in the wake of former State Congress Chief Bhupen Kumar Borah stepping down from the party. 

Reacting to Borah’s resignation, Phukan alleged that dissatisfaction within the Indian National Congress in Assam had reached a critical stage. He criticised the leadership of the state Congress president, Gaurav Gogoi, and claimed the party was undergoing a shift that had unsettled several senior members.

Phukan further accused senior Congress figure Rakibul Hussain of exerting excessive influence over organisational matters, suggesting this had deepened internal divisions. He asserted that more leaders would “take decisive steps” in the coming days.

Borah, who led the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee from 2021 to 2024, reportedly tendered his resignation to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, with a copy sent to senior leader Rahul Gandhi. His decision to remove references to the party from his social media profile added to speculation about a definitive split. 

A two-term MLA from Bihpuria between 2006 and 2016, Borah had been considered one of the prominent faces of the Congress in Assam. Sources indicate that he had raised concerns about internal functioning and leadership dynamics before his departure.

The resignation comes at a crucial juncture, with the state heading towards the 2026 Assembly elections. West Goalpara MLA Abdur Rashid Mandal is reportedly set to join Raijor Dal, while several other Congress legislators are believed to be weighing their options.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma accused the Congress of narrowing its political outreach and failing to address broader public concerns.

If further resignations materialise, the Congress could face a significant erosion of its strength in the Assam Legislative Assembly, potentially reshaping the state’s political contest ahead of the polls.

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