Assam Congress chief rejects CM Himanta Sarma’s claims, says he will not join BJP

Assam Congress president Bhupen Kumar Borah on Tuesday said that he will not join the Bharatiya Janata Party, rejecting Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s claims regarding the same.

On Monday, Sarma described the Congress as a “fixed deposit” of the BJP, from which the latter draws members whenever needed.

“I can say that by January-February 2025, Bhupen Borah will join the BJP,” PTI quoted Sarma as saying on Monday. “I have kept two constituencies ready for him, though I won’t name those now.”

However, on Tuesday, Borah dismissed the claims and accused Sarma of playing mind games to divert voters’ attention from real concerns.

“I want to ask, why should I join the BJP,” Borah said at a press conference. “If I join, will the six communities demanding Scheduled Tribe status for years get it? Will new jobs be created? Will landless indigenous families get land rights?”

Whenever the Opposition raises matters pertaining to governance, Sarma tries to divert attention because he has no solutions, the Congress leader said.

On Monday, Sarma told reporters in Assam’s Sonitpur that he needs to make only a phone call to ask the Congress candidate in the constituency to join his party.

Sarma, who is a former Congress leader, had joined the Hindutva party in 2015.