Assam Congress MP Pradyut Bordoloi joins BJP in presence of state CM

Guwahati: Pradyut Bordoloi, Congress MP from Assam's Nagaon, joined the BJP on Wednesday, days ahead of the Assembly polls. He had resigned from all party posts on Tuesday.

Assam chief minister Himanta Sarma said his joining the party will strengthen the BJP. "Today, the sitting MP has joined the BJP. He is a two-time MP and two-time cabinet minister under the Congress government," he said. Sarma said the Assam state unit will recommend to the central leadership that he should fight the state election.

Also Read: Assam Elections: Congress MP Pradyut Bordoloi resigns in a jolt before state polls, BJP ticket in buzz


"We want to bring all the good Congress leaders who are currently there into the BJP," he said. "Sitting MP from Nagaon, Pradyut Bordoloi has joined the BJP. His history with the Congress party goes back to 1975; his joining the BJP will strengthen the BJP. There is no reason for someone with self-respect to stay with the Congress."

Sarma claimed that "leaders like Ripun Bora and Debabrata Saikia will join BJP after the election. If we open the doors, a large number of Muslim leaders will join the BJP. Presently, several are not coming owing to ideological differences."

Bordoloi's son, Prateek, is a Congress candidate from Margherita seat for the state polls due on April 9.

Nabajyoti Talukdar, another senior Assam Congress leader and a close aide of Bordoloi, too, resigned from the party on Tuesday.

Bordoloi had recently sent a letter stating that he could resign from the party if incumbent Lahorighat legislator Asif Mohammad Nazar was renominated for the Assembly polls.

The MP said in the letter that Nazar's close aide Emdadul Islam was involved in an attack on Bordoloi and other party leaders in April 2025 and was also given a charge sheet by the police in the matter.

He also claimed that Gaurav Gogoi had personally met Islam earlier this year at his residence. "I learnt that a communal leader like Imraan Masood claimed my allegations of a candidate's criminal nexus were false. The APCC president present there remained silent. This hurt me a lot," he said.

Bordoloi's induction into the BJP has triggered speculation over the political future of his son, Parteek, who serves as co-chairman of the social media department of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee.

Also Read: Nagaon MP Pradyut Bordoloi opposes Congress move to consider Dr Asif Nazar for Lahorighat ticket

APCC president Gaurav said the decision on Prateek Bordoloi will be taken only after discussing with the central leadership.

Gogoi told media persons on Wednesday that he doesn't think 'difference of opinion over one seat is the reason to join the rival party".

Congress MP Imran Masood said, "Bordoloi's switch to the saffron fold amounted to a compromise with ideology. This is not about Hindu-Muslim. It was only his agenda. In Assam, the entire play is about money."