Daijiworld Media Network - Guwahati

Guwahati, Mar 18: In a setback to the opposition Indian National Congress, Assam Lok Sabha MP Pradyut Bordoloi joined the Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday, just weeks ahead of the state Assembly elections.

Bordoloi switched sides in the presence of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and state BJP president Dilip Saikia, a day after resigning from the Congress.

Welcoming him into the party, Sarma said Bordoloi’s entry would strengthen the BJP and hinted that the state unit would recommend his candidature for the upcoming Assembly polls. He also expressed confidence that more Congress leaders could join the BJP.

Explaining his decision, Bordoloi said remaining in the party at the cost of self-respect was not an option. He noted that while the Congress had given him much, he chose to step down despite having three years left in his Lok Sabha term.

Bordoloi submitted his resignation to AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, formally ending his long association with the party.

Reacting to the development, Congress leaders including Jitendra Singh and Assam state chief Gaurav Gogoi termed it an internal matter and alleged attempts to politically target Bordoloi.

A former state cabinet minister and two-time MP from Nagaon, Bordoloi’s exit comes close to the Assembly elections scheduled on April 9.