‘I’ll act as bridge for Congress leaders to join BJP’: Bhupen Borah after switch

Guwahati, Feb 22: Former Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Bhupen Kumar Borah formally joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at Vajpayee Bhawan in Guwahati on Sunday.

Ahead of his induction, Borah launched a sharp attack on the Congress leadership and hinted at a larger exodus from the party in the coming days.

“Not all leaders have come today. Those who have not sought candidature have come. I have been invited to join the BJP, and I believe this is just the beginning,” Borah told the press.

He added that once the Congress releases its candidate list, more leaders from Rajiv Bhawan, the state Congress headquarters in Guwahati, are likely to follow.

Describing his move as a matter of “self-respect”, Borah said several Congress leaders are dissatisfied with the party’s internal functioning.

“Many frontline Congress leaders with self-respect will come to Vajpayee Bhawan. I will act as a bridge for them, just like the historic Saraighat Bridge, helping them transition,” he said.

Drawing a dramatic comparison, Borah remarked that Congress leaders who remain in the party despite internal dissatisfaction were “like Karna from the Mahabharata”, suggesting they were loyal but under-recognised.

“When I was in Congress, I faced bloodshed while leading rallies against the BJP. I am perhaps the first Congress president in Assam who had to endure such an incident. I believe the BJP will give due recognition to that sacrifice,” he said.

Welcoming Borah into the BJP, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the former Congress president had entered a “new phase” in his political career.

“From today, his identity with the Congress is completely erased. Whatever differences existed in the past are forgotten. We welcome him and look forward to working together,” Sarma said.