Assam: 2 Congress MLAs likely to Join BJP and AGP in Silchar

A CORRESPONDENT

SILCHAR: As the Assembly election scheduled for next year, inches forward, at least three prominent faces of the political arena of the Barak Valley are gearing up for donning new jerseys. Two Congress MLAs of the Sribhumi district Kamalakha Dey Purkayastha and Siddeque Ahmed are expected to join the BJP and the AGP respectively. On the other hand, Rahul Roy, former MLA, who distanced himself from the Congress he represented in the state Assembly, is reportedly to rejoin the old party after his failed attempts to enrol himself in the BJP.

Three-term Congress MLA from North Karimganj Kamalakha Dey Purkayastha made a surprise volte face last year following repeated vigilance raids for his alleged anomalies in purchasing a tea garden. On February 14, 2024, Purkayastha, once a close aide of Himanta Biswa Sarma during the Congress tenure, suddenly resigned from the post of the working president of the state Congress and declared his allegiance towards the BJP government. Significantly, he did not resign from his MLA post and hence represented the Congress in the Assembly though openly supporting the BJP. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had, as claimed by Purkayastha, instructed him to get prepared for the Katigorah seat in the next Assembly election. But the local BJP leaders of Katigorah had openly resisted his entry in the constituency. Purkayastha is now eyeing the Hailakandi Assembly seat. But the most significant issue is that Purkayastha is yet to join the BJP party. Playing safe, Purkayastha told this correspondent that he would go with the instructions of his mentor Himanta Biswa Sarma. “I will join the BJP only when asked by the Chief Minister,” a visibly worried Purkayastha said.

Siddeque Ahmed, the South Karimganj MLA, was expelled from the Congress amid his alleged cross voting during the Rajya Sabha election. Since then Ahmed, a former Minister in the erstwhile Tarun Gogoi Government, has been a staunch supporter of Himanta Biswa Sarma. However, given the demographic equation of the Muslim-majority South Karimganj constituency, Ahmed is reportedly to be fielded as an AGP candidate in the next Assembly election. However his dismal performance in the recent Panchayat election has also put a big question mark on Ahmed being embraced by the AGP.

Rahul Roy, son of a former Congress heavyweight minister whose political relevance waned out after his failed attempt as BJP candidate in Katigorah in 2021 Assembly election, was practically in political hibernation following his defeat in Algapur. Rahul reportedly tried to follow his father’s footstep to join the BJP, but the Hailakandi saffron brigade stood as a strong barrier. Reports suggested that during this long period of absence from political activities, Rahul relentlessly worked to refurbish his family’s long tie with Katlicherra, which his father represented in the Assembly for six consecutive terms, and now the part of which with Hindu majority had been merged with Hailakandi seat. In this backdrop, Rahul seemed to make a comeback in his old party. During the recent Panchayat election, Rahul reportedly helped the Congress candidates in many ways. Rahul, however, did not make any official comment as he said, “After Durga Puja, I will make my position clear with the blessings of Maa Durga. Till then, no comment.”

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