NEW DELHI: Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday invited former Assam Congress chief Bhupen Borah to join the BJP, hours after Borah submitted his resignation from the party, triggering political upheaval in the poll-bound state.Sarma said the BJP’s doors were open for Borah and promised to help him get elected from a “safe seat” if he joined. He also announced that he would visit Borah’s residence to discuss his future plans.“If he wants to join the BJP, we will welcome him, but even if he does not want to do so, we extend our best wishes to him,” Sarma told reporters.Sarma described Borah as the “last Hindu leader” in the Congress without a family background holding ministerial or legislative posts and said his resignation sent a larger message about internal democracy in the party.“His resignation carries the symbolic message that in the Congress, no one from a normal family can prosper. Congress does not give recognition to people from ordinary families, but I hail from an ordinary middle-class family and the BJP has made me a chief minister. We stay opposite to the politics of blue blood,” he said.Drawing a parallel with his own political journey, Sarma added, “Even Sarma was forced to leave the party as he was not made CM despite 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.”In Guwahati, senior Congress leaders maintained that Borah had reconsidered his decision following intervention by the party high command.AICC Assam in-charge Jitendra Singh said party president Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leader Rahul Gandhi had spoken to Borah.“The party leadership has discussed the matter with Borah. Rahul Gandhi also spoke to him for 15 minutes,” Singh told reporters outside Borah’s residence.“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.However, Borah clarified that he had only sought time to reconsider.“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.In a late-night interaction, Borah confirmed that he had sent his resignation after 32 years in the party.“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 and will inform them by tomorrow.”He said he was consulting senior leaders and well-wishers before taking a final call.“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 Sarma’s statement about visiting his residence, Borah said, “If any CM wants to visit my home, it is a matter of pride for me.”Borah, who served as Assam Congress president from 2021 to 2025 and was replaced by Gaurav Gogoi last year, has been a two-time MLA.Senior Congress leaders including Gogoi, MP Pradyut Bordoloi, Leader of Opposition Debabrata Saikia and other MLAs met Borah after he sent his resignation letter to Kharge, alleging that he was being “ignored” by the party leadership and not being accorded his due in the state unit.Gogoi described Borah as a “pillar of strength” for the party.“I apologise to him as a younger brother if he felt hurt due to certain issues in the party,” he said.The United Opposition Forum, Assam, also appealed to Borah to stay. Its spokesperson and Raijor Dal president Akhil Gogoi said the forum would not allow him to switch sides.“No one from the united opposition will let him join the BJP even if PM Narendra Modi or Home Minister Amit Shah comes. He was, is and will remain with us. Who will let him go…we will carry him everywhere with us,” Gogoi said.He alleged that the Chief Minister was trying to create confusion by suggesting Borah would join the BJP but added, “this will not happen…we will not let it happen.”With Borah seeking time until Tuesday morning to take a final decision, his political future remains uncertain, even as the BJP steps up its outreach and the Congress leadership attempts to contain the fallout ahead of the Assembly polls.
