Ahead of Assam’s Assembly elections later this year, former Assam Congress chief Bhupen Borah defected to the BJP after a flip flop claiming humiliation within the party triggered the exit.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on February 17 announced that former Assam Congress chief Bhupen Kumar Borah will join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on February 22, marking a significant political development ahead of the upcoming state Assembly elections.
Bhupen Borah’s allegation against Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi
Bhupen Kumar Borah reflected on his 32-year political career, highlighting his rise from MLA to Assam Congress chief and his role in shaping the party’s alliances in the state.
Borah said that he began discussions with all relevant parties, but claimed that on February 11, Gaurav Gogoi instructed him to include AIUDF leader Rakibul Hussain in the talks. Despite his efforts to coordinate with multiple parties, Borah claimed that on February 13, Gogoi accused him of creating a misunderstanding in front of others. He also approached LoP Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi about the matter, expressing that he could not tolerate such humiliation, but received no response.
“I started the talks. On the 11th, Gaurav Gogoi said, ‘You shouldn’t go alone, take Rakibul Hussain along too’… I was talking to all the parties, but on the 13th, Gaurav Gogoi announced that Bhupen Borah had created a misunderstanding. I asked him why he had humiliated me in front of everyone, but he gave no answer… I even told Rahul Gandhi that I couldn’t tolerate such humiliation. But no one said anything,” he said.
Borah noted that when he became APCC president in 2021, Congress was in alliance with AIUDF, which he ended, and later, before the formation of the INDIA alliance, he successfully forged partnerships with 16 different parties.
“I gave 32 years to the Congress party. Congress made me from an MLA to APCC President… When I became president in 2021, Congress was in alliance with AIUDF. I broke the alliance. After that, before the INDIA alliance was formed, I forged alliances with 16 parties,” Borah said.
Borah alleged that during a by-election, a seat initially allocated to CPI(ML) was suddenly awarded to a candidate who had never been a Congress member, resulting in current Assam Congress chief Gaurav Gogoi losing the seat. He said that on February 9, a video conference was held on alliance formation, during which he was asked to lead the negotiations.
“It was decided in the by-election that one seat would go to CPI(ML), but suddenly that night, the name of a different person was announced who had never been a Congress member… Gaurav Gogoi couldn’t win that seat… On February 9, a video conference took place regarding the alliance. I was asked to form the alliance again,” he added.
Gaurav Gogoi hits out at Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma
Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi accused Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma of influencing Bhupen Borah’s defection to the BJP, claiming the move exposed Sarma’s real estate interests and political desperation.
Speaking at a press conference, Gogoi asserted that despite the political shift, Congress will continue its campaign and challenge Sarma’s leadership.
“There were many rumours regarding the close relationship between Himanta Biswa Sarma and Bhupen Bora. We tried our best not to believe these rumours and speculation. We always wondered how information about confidential meetings came to a particular journalist close to Himanta Biswa Sarma. These rumours have come out to be true…A day after resigning from Congress, Bhupen Borah had no qualms about joining the BJP and surrendering to Himanta Biswa Sarma. It also shows Himanta Biswa Sarma’s desperation that today the entire state is wondering as to how 4000 acres of land belong to one family,” Gogoi said.
Gogoi went on to allege that Congress has successfully exposed the Chief Minister’s real estate holdings, suggesting that Borah’s defection is a distraction from these revelations.
“The Congress party, through its various programs, has successfully uncovered the real estate empire of Himanta Biswa Sarma. This is why they have been forced to take this decision to distract the public. This will not affect the Congress party’s campaign. We will go on and continue the fight and remove Himanta Biswa Sarma from the seat of power,” he added.
Will Borah’s defection impact Congress in Assembly polls
Borah’s exit is just the latest in a continuing wave of resignations that has steadily eroded the Congress base in Assam. Three sitting MLAs have already defected — two to the Raijor Dal and one to the Asom Gana Parishad — while three more are reportedly set to join the BJP.
Lok Sabha MP from Jorhat, Gaurav Gogoi has positioned himself as its most credible challenger to CM Sarma. However, under his leadership, the Congress has struggled to deliver. Its performance in the panchayat polls was dismal, and critics argue that his hesitation at crucial junctures has allowed controversies to linger and deepen.
It is alleged that Gogoi lacks firm control over the party, with Borah claiming that Rakibul Hussain is effectively steering the Assam Congress behind the scenes. A five-time MLA and former minister, Hussain strengthened his influence with a sweeping victory from Dhubri in 2024, trouncing All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) chief Badruddin Ajmal by more than a million votes. Borah contends that he was ironically “punished” for ending the alliance with the AIUDF to counter the BJP, despite Hussain having been the chief architect of that strategy.
Early momentum in 2026 seat-sharing talks under Borah collapsed after Hussain was brought in, creating confusion within allies of Congress, with Raijor Dal chief Akhil Gogoi publicly voicing his unease.
