Hours after quitting Congress, Bhupen Borah says he is reconsidering decision

Hours after tendering his resignation, former Assam Congress chief Bhupen Borah has sought time to reconsider his decision to quit the party.

Assam Congress in-charge Jitendra Singh told reporters on Monday that Borah, 55, has withdrawn his resignation following the intervention of the party’s high command, according to PTI.

State Congress president Gaurav Gogoi also confirmed that Rahul Gandhi spoke with Borah after his resignation. Gogoi said the resignation was not accepted by the Congress leadership.

Reasons cited for resignation

Speaking to the media earlier in the day, Borah said he would remain active in politics despite stepping down.

“I have submitted my resignation from the Congress at 8am on Monday. I will wait for the party high command’s response before commenting further. I wish to reiterate that I will continue to be in active politics,” Borah said outside his Guwahati residence.

Borah, who described himself as a “dedicated worker” of the party for 32 years, pointed to “certain circumstances” that had emerged in recent days as the reason behind his decision. However, he did not elaborate on specific factors.

“I have not decided yet on what course to take in future,” he added.

The development comes at a politically significant moment, with Assam expected to hold assembly elections between March and April this year. The Election Commission of India has yet to announce the schedule.

Borah had earlier been replaced as Assam Congress president in May last year, when Lok Sabha MP Gaurav Gogoi took charge.

Sarma reacts

Reacting to Borah’s resignation, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the move was anticipated after Borah was replaced as the state Congress chief.

Sarma alleged that Borah had been sidelined within the party, claiming that leaders such as Gaurav Gogoi and Rakibul Hussain were gaining prominence.

The chief minister added that although he had not been in contact with Borah before the resignation, he planned to meet him on Tuesday to discuss future possibilities.