Jolt for Assam Congress as two MLAs extend support to Sarma-led government

Guwahati: The opposition Congress in Assam suffered another setback on Wednesday as two of its lawmakers, including a working president of the party’s state unit, decided to extend support to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government.

The party’s working president and MLA from North Karimganj, Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha, resigned from his post on Wednesday while extending support to the Himanta Biswa Sarma-led Assam government. Basanta Das, the Congress MLA from Mangaldoi, also announced his support to Sarma.

“I have seen the development work done by the present government and that is why I have decided to extend my support to it. As I have been elected on a Congress ticket, I will stay in the party. This move is taken only to ensure that development doesn’t get affected,” said Purkayastha.

Welcoming their decision, chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stated that this would strengthen the state government and boost development work. He said that more such development is expected in the coming days.

Purkayastha resigned from his post in a letter addressed to the party’s state unit president Bhupen Kumar Borah, but said he would remain a primary member of the Congress.

Similar views were expressed by Das who along with Purkayastha met CM Sarma at his chamber on the sidelines of the ongoing budget session.

“Both MLAs have shown respect to the work done in the Centre under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Their decision will strengthen our government and boost development work not just in North Karimganj and Mangaldai, but across the state,” CM Sarma said.

Later in the day, Sarma told newspersons that more Congress legislators would extend support to his government, directly or indirectly, in the coming days.

“I am aware of the development and can only say that it’s good for the Congress that such things are getting exposed. I have informed our party’s state in-charge Jitendra Singh about it and a decision on these MLAs will be taken soon,” Assam Congress president Bhupen Kumar Borah said.

Congress leader of opposition Debabrata Saikia blamed Sarma for such development and termed the move as a mockery of democracy. He hoped the party leadership would act against the legislators.

“We had written to the Speaker seeking their disqualification, but no action has been taken against them yet,” Saikia said.

This is not the first instance of a Congress MLA in Assam supporting the BJP-led government. In December 2021, the legislator from Raha, Sashi Kanta Das, supported the BJP-led government. He was suspended by the Congress.

In 2022, South Karimganj MLA Siddique Ahmed was suspended for cross-voting in the Rajya Sabha polls.

Congress had won 29 seats (of the total 126) in the assembly polls held in 2021. But within months the number was reduced to 27 after two of its legislators resigned from the party and joined the BJP. They later won the same seats on the BJP tickets.

rty and joined the BJP. They later won from the same seats on BJP tickets.