2 Assam Congress MLAs extend support to Himanta Biswa Sarma govt

Guwahati: In what may be called a major setback for the Congress party, its working president and legislators in the state Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha resigned and announced his support to the developmental works of the government led by chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. Another Congress legislator from Mangaldoi Basanta Das also announced his support to the BJP government and met the chief minister who felicitated the two Congress leaders soon after.

Mr Purkayastha, the Congress MLA from North Karimganj, wrote to Assam Congress president Bhupen Kumar Borah, stating that he would “continue to work only as a primary member of the Congress party”. Mr Borah said that he was awaiting further directions from the party high command on the matter. Mr Puryakastha told reporters that Mr Das and he had decided to support the BJP government for “the development of the Vidhan Sabha, the constituency, the state and the people of the state”. He also came down heavily on Congress leadership predicting that soon Congress headquarters in the state would be under lock and key.supporting the BJP.

Meanwhile Assam Congress president Bhupen Borah told reporters that sometimes in



politics, some things happen inadvertently and there is nothing that can be done about it. Narrating as to how chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma went to BJP, he claimed, when certain allegations of misappropriation came up against him and he was called by the police for probe, Mr Sarma joined BJP. Ms Ajata Neog went to BJP when CM Vigilance Cell issued a summon to her. 

Even Gautam Roy joined the BJP when he was called by the CM Vigilance Cell, said Mr Borah.

Meanwhile, Mr Borah acknowledged receiving the letter from Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha wherein the Assam Congress MLA mentioned about stepping down from his position and continuing as a "primary member" of the party. The Congress party has 27 MLAs in the 126-member Assembly, with disqualification proceedings against three among them — Sashi Kanta Das, Siddique Ahmed and Sherman Ali Ahmed– initiated by the Congress Legislature Party still pending with the Speaker. Assam chief minister while welcoming the decision of two Congress legislators said that the Rahul Gandhi-led 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' has turned into 'Congress Todo Yatra'.