Lot of infighting in Congress, only TMC can fight the BJP: Ripun Bora

Former Assam Congress president Ripun Bora, who has joined Trinamool Congress, has said that the Congress has been witnessing infighting and only TMC can fight the BJP.

"I was associated with the Congress party for nearly 40 years. I have no grievance against the Congress and its leaders. I resigned on a few policy and ideological matters," Bora told ANI.

"The way BJP has grown has threatened the social fabric of the country. Congress being the grand old party should have fought the BJP but there was a lot of fighting within the party. I am convinced only TMC can fight BJP," he said.


Bora resigned from Congress on Sunday and joined the TMC. He had lost the recent Rajya Sabha polls in Assam.

In his resignation letter also, Bora, who was with the Congress since 1976, had pointed to infighting within the party claiming that it paved way for BJP to grow and had "demoralized" Congress workers.

Bora said that instead of fighting against BJP, a section of senior leaders of Assam Congress has been maintaining a "secret understanding with BJP government mainly with the Chief Minister."

He alleged that the party's "interest and ideology" are being compromised in favour of the BJP "for some vested interests of a few leaders".

Bora is the second senior leader from Congress in Assam to join the Trinamool Congress in the past eight months. Former Mahila Congress chief Sushmita Dev joined the Congress in August last year. Congress has witnessed resignation of senior leaders in other states also.