GUWAHATI, March 8 - Two sitting legislators - Sherman Ali Ahmed and Atawur Rahman Majhar Bhuyan - of the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) and former student leaders of the All Assam Students� Union (AASU) Sankar Prasad Roy and All Assam Koch Rajbongshi Students� Union (AAKRSU) Biswajit Roy�were among the prominent names that formally joined the Indian National Congress here at its party headquarters this afternoon.�
Besides,�former MLA Maqbul Hussain (UMF) and BJP leader Sabda Rabha also joined the Congress in the presence of Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, party president Anjan Dutta and a host of senior leaders, besides Member of Parliament Gaurav Gogoi.�
Both the�sitting legislators, including Sherman Ali (who was axed by the AIUDF leadership for anti-party activities) were maintaining a distance from the Badruddin Ajmal-led AIUDF, and their joining the Congress was on the cards.
However,�for former AASU president Sankar Prasad Roy, who had joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) recently, it was not the right start to his political career.
The prominent AASU leader decided to change his political affiliation after he reportedly found himself sidelined following the AGP-BJP alliance ahead of the ensuing polls.
Rabha, also a former AGP leader who had recently joined the saffron party, decided to join the Congress after the much-talked-about alliance. Among the other new names who joined the Congress today include Bijon Lal Choudhury, former Deputy Registrar of Gauhati High Court, Uday Kumar Basumatary, former AASu leader and Muzib Ali Ahmed of the Muslim Yuba Parishad, among others.
Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Anjan Dutta while addressing the gathering said that more people are expected to come to the party fold in the days to come and that the candidates for the ensuing polls would be fielded keeping the sentiments and choice of the grassroot workers.
Taking potshots at the Opposition parties, Dutta said, �While the BJP is a communal force, AGP is an opportunistic party. Both the parties are harmful for the State.�
Immediately after joining the party, Sankar Prasad Roy said that he could feel that there was a secret understanding between the BJP and the AIUDF.
