New Delhi: Chief Minister of Assam Himanta Biswa Sarma Former Assam Congress president Bhupen Borah was invited to join him on Monday bjpHours after Bora submitted his resignation, it sparked political turmoil in the poll-bound state.Sarma said the doors of the BJP were open to Bora and promised to help him get elected from “safe seats” if he joins. He also announced that he would visit Bora’s residence to discuss future plans.“If he wants to join the BJP, we will welcome him, but even if he doesn’t want to, we will send him our best wishes,” Sarma told reporters.Sarma described Bora as “the last Hindu leader without a family background of ministerial or legislative office” in the Congress party and said his resignation sent a larger message about democracy within the party.“His resignation sends a symbolic message that in the Congress party, no one from an ordinary family can prosper. The Congress party does not recognize people from an ordinary family, but I come from an ordinary middle-class family and the BJP made me chief minister. We are against aristocracy,” he said.Comparing his own political journey, Sarma added: “Even Sarma was forced to leave the party because he was not made chief minister despite the support of 58 MLAs. Is this internal democracy? How long will this kind of politics last? Someone has to make his voice heard and I have done that.”In Guwahati, senior Congress leaders maintained that Bora reconsidered his decision after the intervention of the party high command.AICC Assam chief Jitendra Singh said party president Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leader Rahul Gandhi had spoken to Bora.“The party leadership has discussed the matter with Bora. Rahul Gandhi also spoke to him for 15 minutes,” Singh told reporters outside Bora’s official residence.“This is an internal matter for us; we discussed in detail the issues that troubled him and I thank him for agreeing to withdraw his resignation,” he said.However, Bora clarified that he was only seeking time to reconsider.“My old colleagues and party leaders came to my house and I respected them. I secured time tomorrow morning so that I could talk to my family and make a decision on the matter,” he said.In a late-night interaction, Bora confirmed that he had tendered his resignation after 32 years in the party.“The resignation letter has been sent but the central leadership said it will not accept it. I cannot issue instructions to the central leadership but I have asked for time to consider it and will inform them by tomorrow,” Bora said.He said he was consulting senior leaders and well-wishers before taking the final decision.“Many senior leaders and colleagues asked me to consider all aspects of the situation, but no one said there was anything wrong with me sending my resignation letter,” he said.Responding to Sarma’s statement about visiting his residence, Bora said: “If any minister wants to visit my home, it is a matter of pride for me.”Bora served as Assam Congress president from 2021 to 2025 and was replaced last year by Gaurav Gogoi, a twice-elected MLA.Senior Congress leaders including Gogoi, MP Pradut Bordoloi, Leader of Opposition Debabrata Saikia and other MLAs met Bhola after he sent his resignation letter to Kharg, claiming that he was “ignored” by the party leadership and was not getting due treatment in the state unit.Gogoi described Bora as the party’s “pillar of strength”.“If he felt hurt because of some issues in the party, I apologize to him as a younger brother,” he said.The United Opposition Forum of Assam also called on Bora to stay. His spokesman and Raijor Dal president Akhil Gogoi said the forum would not allow him to change his stance.“Even if Prime Minister Narendra Modi or Home Minister Amit Shah comes, no one in the joint opposition will let him join the BJP. He was, is and will be with us. Whoever lets him go… we will take him anywhere,” Gogoi said.He alleged that the chief minister was trying to create chaos by suggesting Bora join the BJP, but added, “This will not happen…we Won’t let it happen. “As Bora hopes to take a final decision by Tuesday morning, his political future remains uncertain despite the BJP’s stepped-up outreach and the Congress leadership’s attempts to contain the fallout ahead of the assembly polls.
