Former Congress MP Pradyut Bordoloi Switches to BJP, Citing Humiliation and Isolation
In a significant political development, former Congress MP from Nagaon, Pradyut Bordoloi, officially joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday in New Delhi. The event was marked by the presence of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and state BJP president Dilip Saikia, who welcomed Bordoloi into the saffron fold. This move comes after Bordoloi resigned from the Indian National Congress on Tuesday night, ending a three-decade-long association with the party.
Resignation and Reasons Behind the Switch
Bordoloi's resignation from Congress was driven by feelings of humiliation and isolation, which he attributed to his support for Shashi Tharoor's candidature in the All India Congress Committee (AICC) presidential election in 2022. In a one-line resignation letter addressed to AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, Bordoloi expressed, "With an overwhelming sense of sadness today, I hereby tender my resignation from all posts, privileges and the primary membership of the Indian National Congress." Despite last-minute efforts by state PCC chief Gaurav Gogoi and AICC general secretary Jitendra Singh to persuade him to reconsider, Bordoloi remained firm in his decision.
BJP's Welcome and Future Prospects
Following his resignation, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma accompanied Bordoloi to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah for discussions. Sarma announced that BJP national president Nitin Nabin had approved Bordoloi's joining on Tuesday, and the state unit would recommend a ticket for him in the upcoming Assam assembly polls. Sarma emphasized, "Bordoloi is a sitting Congress MP with three years left in his tenure. Since he is resigning voluntarily due to the anti-defection law, the party will take care of him." The BJP's central election committee, led by party chief Nabin Kumar, is scheduled to meet to finalize candidates for Assam and Puducherry.
Bordoloi's Political Journey and Motivations
Pradyut Bordoloi, a two-term MP from Nagaon and former four-time MLA, served as a cabinet minister in the Tarun Gogoi-led Congress government in Assam. He was also the chairman of the Congress manifesto committee for the impending assembly election. Explaining his shift to BJP, Bordoloi stated, "The chief minister's vision to work for Assam and his positive thinking to take the state forward have drawn me to join BJP. For the last two years, I have been facing humiliation and feeling isolated within Congress. While joining BJP, I have made it clear that I will continue to work with my head held high for the sake of the Assamese people."
Congress Reaction and Family Dynamics
The Congress party termed Bordoloi's exit as "unfortunate." Priyanka Gandhi Vadra commented, "I think he was upset over ticket allocation, and I wish we had a chance to have a conversation; it is unfortunate." Interestingly, Bordoloi's son, Prateek, remains a Congress nominee from the Margherita constituency for the state polls, highlighting the complex family and political dynamics at play.
This defection underscores the ongoing realignments in Assam's political landscape ahead of the assembly elections, with BJP strengthening its ranks and Congress facing internal challenges.
