Joined BJP without any conditions: Bordoloi ahead of Dispur contest

Guwahati, March 24: The organizational structure of the BJP is much stronger than that of the Congress, said Pradyut Bordoloi, who recently switched over from the opposition team to the saffron party and will be contesting the Assembly elections from Dispur constituency.

Following are the excerpts from an interview with Bordoloi:

The Assam Tribune: I do not know how to introduce you – a former minister, a Member of Parliament or a BJP member?

Bordoloi: (laughing) Well, life has taken such a turn. Obviously, my political life has been a roller coaster ride. I had to leave the Congress because I had to go through the throes of, you know, humiliation, isolation, and then a very systematic annihilation as a political entity there, despite the fact that I grew with the party.

AT: When did you join?

Bordoloi: I was 16 years old when I gave my matriculation exams from Margherita. I came to study in Cotton College in the Higher Secondary first year. At that time, I joined the NSUI. And being an NSUI member, two years later, when I was barely probably 18 years, I contested the election in the Cotton College Students’ Union and won with a thumping majority. And then obviously I progressed and, it has been a long journey with the Congress.

AT: You were a minister three times.

Bordoloi: I held several posts in the Congress organization. As a minister, I held different portfolios, including Home.

AT: Was leaving Congress a hasty decision or was it well thought out?

Bordoloi: That is what everybody’s asking. Why is it that you have left the Congress party? Was it in a huff? Was it... So what really? Actually, see, I had always been a very disciplined person, if you remember, because you had also a very long journalistic career. Never ever during the Congress party or for any... I always follow the party dictum, party discipline. I never tried to spill out something, whatever is happening within me or if I was subjected to insults or if I was subjected to discrimination. I never came out and told any journalist, but it was building up, and it was like pent up grievances, series of activities. May be it all started, from the organizational election in 2022, when the Congress decided to hold an organizational election.

AT: And you supported Shashi Tharoor?

Bordoloi: Yes Shashi Tharoor. In fact, I was one of the few MPs who insisted that there should be an election, because there was a tendency in the Congress to impose somebody as a consensus candidate.

You know, they were not for holding election, but me and another four MPs, we not only wrote a letter to the Congress president and then the Congress Election Commission, which was headed by Madhusudan Mistry.

We said, “You must have election, organizational election, because I personally believe that holding organizational election would further strengthen not only internal democracy, but also rejuvenate the Congress party.” And I gave several examples. The examples were always throughout the history of the Congress party. For example, the party had organizational elections, stalwarts like Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and Jawaharlal Nehru, they were pitted against each other. They contested, vying for the post of the president of the All India Congress Committee. And in fact, Subhas Chandra Bose won, and twice he was the president of the Indian National Congress. One example. There are many other examples. If you remember in the not very recent past, but then it was quite a distant past, if you remember, because, it was relevant. Organizational election took place when Sharad Pawar was contesting the post of presidentship. Rajesh Pilot was challenging him.

AT: You campaigned for him also, didn’t you?

Bordoloi: Extensively. And then because of our effort from the northeastern region, out of about, approximately 5,000 votes, 1,100 votes we could gather in favour of Tharoor.

AT: So in a way, do you mean to say that you were a victim for supporting Tharoor?

Bordoloi: No, that is what I was trying to tell you. I don’t know what happened later. Mallikarjun Kharge became the president. But I must admit that Mallikarjun Kharge is a very broadminded man.

He never held any grudge. It was the second-rung leaders within the party who were bending over backwards to somehow identify me as a kind of culprit to impose or force imposition of the election. And then one after another...

AT: Okay. Why BJP?

Bordoloi: I’ll tell you, I resigned. Then, the BJP leadership got in touch with me. I needed a platform. I know I had been very critical of BJP, and then overnight, I cannot turn into a revisionist.

But when they came to me, and they assured me, and then I, believe me, I have joined BJP without any condition.

AT: You took a huge risk in your political career, didn’t you?

Bordoloi: Yes, I still have a three-and-a-half-year term to go as an MP.

AT: And, there is no guarantee that you will win in Dispur?

Bordoloi: I was feeling suffocated. I was caged. I was reduced to the level of a vegetable, you know? So it was very damaging to my psyche, and I found that I was helpless, where I couldn’t operate.

So there was this kind of restlessness, and then I was repeatedly humiliated. So I decided to call it a day. While doing this, the BJP top leadership got in touch with me.

They got a wind of it. Then I made it very clear that, ‘Look, I don’t subscribe to many of our (BJP) things.” Then on top of it, I must say that the present Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, we worked together for 15 years...

AT: But if the whispers in Dispur are to be believed, you were never a close friend of Himanta Biswa Sarma?

Bordoloi: No, but we worked together, and I very grudgingly admired Himanta Biswa Sarma, because Himanta Biswa Sarma has got a tremendous zeal for work.

He is a go-getter, and he’s got tremendous creative thinking. A person like that can really bring Assam on a pedestal, one really Assam can achieve.

And then, frankly speaking, we worked together. In fact, if you remember, those were the days in 2001, when we became ministers, there was turmoil in Assam. If you remember, the turmoil, the tumultuous days, there was conflict everywhere.