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Need serious introspection in Assam Congress after defeat in bypolls: RS MP

By PTI

New Delhi, Nov 3: Rajya Sabha MP Ripun Bora on Wednesday said there is an urgent need for the Congress to do a serious and meaningful introspection in the wake of party's "devastating defeat" in the Assembly bypolls in Assam.

Bora also said he has information that a large number of Congress leaders in Assam were contemplating to leave the party and to join the BJP or the TMC.

"It has become very urgent for the Congress to carry out a serious and meaningful introspection of the results of the by-elections in Assam," he told reporters here.

In the assembly by-polls held in five constituencies in Assam, the Congress failed to win even a single seat while the BJP won in three and the remaining two were won by the saffron party's ally UPPL.

Among the three seats the BJP won, two were held by Congress leaders -- Sushanta Borgohain and Rupjyoti Kurmi -- who had deserted the party and joined the BJP.

Both were nominated by the BJP and won the by-elections.

Bora said the analysis of the results of the by-elections showed that it is "very surprising and devastating defeat" for the Congress party.

The MP said the results of the bypolls generally goes in favour of the ruling party and this happened in the by-polls held in six assembly seats in 2016, 2017 and 2019 during his tenure as President of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee.

During that time, however, the Congress had been able to increase the vote in the by-elections compared to the previous general elections, he said.

Even in the bypolls to the Lakhimpur Lok Sabha seat held in 2016, the Congress could increase the votes in comparison to the 2014 general elections.

"The result of this by-elections has seriously demoralised the rank and file of the party. Such huge decrease of the Congress votes within the gap of six months is very unfortunate," he said.

The MP also said that in two assembly constituencies -- Thowra and Mariani -- there is no record of such "dismal performance" by the Congress in the electoral history of the party in Assam.

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