Three Congress MLAs to Join BJP on Thursday, Two Others Switch to Raijor Dal

The Congress party in Assam has suffered a fresh wave of defections, with three of its MLAs set to join the BJP on Thursday and two others having already switched to the Raijor Dal.

Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma confirmed the development to the media, naming the three MLAs who will formally join the BJP: Shashikanta Das of Raha LAC, Basanta Das of Mangladoi LAC, and Kamalakshya Dev Purkayastha of Karimganj North LAC.

The two Congress MLAs who have already joined the Raijor Dal are Abdur Rashid Mandal and Sherman Ali.

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Commenting on the first list of candidates released by Congress for the upcoming Assembly elections, CM Sarma was dismissive — calling it a list built on dynasty rather than merit.

He pointed out that Rakibul Hussain's son Tanzil Hussain has been given the ticket for Samaguri, while Pradyut Bordoloi's son Prateek Bordoloi has been fielded for Margherita.

"There is nothing new about the Congress list. General workers are not given any importance. Congress is a dynastic rule party, and it has been running like this," Sarma said.

The Chief Minister also addressed questions about seat-sharing between the United People's Party Liberal (UPPL) and the Bodoland People's Front (BPF), saying he had asked UPPL's Pramod Bodo and BPF's Hagrama Mohilary to work it out between themselves.

"As I cannot interfere directly in Bodoland politics, the seat-sharing will be on the basis of the understanding they reach," Sarma said.

Speaking more broadly about the upcoming election, CM Sarma framed it as a critical moment for Assam — arguing that the BJP's first term laid the groundwork for development, and that the state is now poised for accelerated growth.

He also cited the public response to the party's ongoing Jana Ashirwad Yatra as a sign of strong voter support.

"You cannot imagine the love and blessings of the people we received in the first three days of the Jana Ashirwad Yatra. We do not feel proud or arrogant about the people's love we've received so far because our objective has been service to them," Sarma said.

He added that voters in Assam are now looking for development, a transparent appointment process, and administrative reforms.