Ahead of upcoming state assembly around the corner, Former Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Bhupen Kumar Borah has resigned from the party. Sending his resignation letter to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and forwarding a copy to senior leader Rahul Gandhi, as per sources.
Borah, who served as President of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee from 2021 to 2024, has been a prominent face of the party in the state. He represented the Bihpuria Assembly constituency for two consecutive terms from 2006 to 2016. Bhupen Borah allegedly criticized Rakibul Hussain, accusing him of meddling in organizational affairs and creating an uneasy atmosphere within the Assam Congress.
Initially, Bhupen Borah was entrusted with leading alliance and seat-sharing negotiations, a move seen as balanced and strategic. However, the later inclusion of Rakibul Hussain in the negotiation process reportedly triggered confusion and mistrust, both within Congress and among potential allies.
The resignation is being widely viewed not merely as an individual decision but as a symptom of deeper internal fractures within the Congress as another sitting Congress MLA Abdur Rashid Mandal from West Goalpara too is rumored to be joining Raijor Dal today. Abdur Rashid Mandal had allegedly blamed Rakibul Hussain for his ultimate exit from the party.
Raijor Dal chief and Sivasagar MLA Akhil Gogoi acknowledged that Borah has indeed stepped down from the party, but dismissed rumors’ suggesting that the senior Opposition leader is set to join the Bharatiya Janata Party “It is true that Bhupen Borah resigned from Congress. But it is also true that he will not join the BJP as speculated,” Gogoi said.
As Assam inches closer to elections, the Congress faces a decisive test in Assam, pre-election alliances often collapse not over ideology, but over seat distribution, leadership claims and internal distrust. The sudden shift in negotiation dynamics altered public perception and deepened suspicion among stakeholders.