Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI: Former Union Minister of State for Railways, four-time BJP MP from Nagaon, and former BJP state president Rajen Gohain joined the Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) in Guwahati today, marking a major shift in Assam’s regional politics.
AJP president Lurinjyoti Gogoi, general secretary Jagadish Bhuyan, and several senior party members welcomed Gohain and 200 other leaders to the party fold.
Speaking at the joining ceremony, Gohain said, “Wherever I am, I have always tried to perform my duties with honesty and commitment. I will continue to do so here as well.”
Launching a sharp attack on the BJP, the veteran leader accused the party of betraying Assam’s regional interests, silencing internal voices, and running the government in a ‘monarchical manner’.
“I served the national party for 40 years and strengthened it with my own effort. But today, Assam has been handed over to Delhi. The BJP does not care about coordination among people of different communities and languages. Decisions are taken from the top, with no concern for the state’s realities,” he said.
Gohain expressed disillusionment with the current leadership, saying the party had “drifted far from the ideals of Atal Bihari Vajpayee and L.K. Advani,” under whom collective decision-making and internal democracy once prevailed.
“This is no longer a democracy but a monarchy. They don’t listen to us. Even the Chief Minister’s chair cannot be retained if one speaks against Delhi’s diktats,” he alleged.
Gohain further accused the BJP of promoting external corporate dominance in Assam, undermining the state’s local economy and entrepreneurs. “Businessmen from outside are being allowed to control our land and resources. The national party has become a crisis for Assam,” Gohain stated.
Gohain said, “Their Hindutva thrives on division. True nationalism unites, not divides. Assam’s diverse communities and languages must be brought together, not pitted against one another.”
Calling for regional unity, he urged, “Those who feel humiliated within the BJP should come forward. Assam needs regional unity, not central domination.”
Gohain had resigned from the BJP on October 9, expressing deep dissatisfaction with the party’s direction and leadership.
Also Read: Rajen Gohain to Join AJP on Nov 5: Big Political Move