Ripun Bora quits Congress, joins TMC: 'Assam Cong leaders working with BJP'

Ripun Bora, who joined the TMC soon after he quit the Congress, said in his resignation letter to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi that infighting within the grand old party helped BJP and compelled him to leave despite having been a member since student days in 1976.

Ripun Bora joined TMC today.

Former Assam Congress chief Ripun Bora on Sunday resigned from the party, alleging that several leaders of it were working in connivance with the BJP in the state, particularly with Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

Bora, who joined the TMC soon after he quit the Congress, said in his resignation letter to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi that infighting within the grand old party helped BJP and compelled him to leave despite having been a member since student days in 1976.

"I am very pained to inform you that it is an open secret in Assam that instead of fighting against BJP, a section of senior most leaders of Assam PCC (Pradesh Congress Committee) have been maintaining secret understanding with BJP govt mainly with the Chief Minister," Bora said in his resignation letter.

The former state minister also alleged that some of the Congress party leaders "played role in such a manner which paved the way for the BJP to win both the Rajya Sabha seats" from Assam recently.

Bora was renominated by the Congress for the elections to the Upper House of Parliament.

He, as a joint candidate of the opposition parties in Assam, had unsuccessfully contested the recently held Rajya Sabha elections.
Bora claimed that he, after assuming charge as APCC chief in 2016, was able to bring the Congress to a position where people expected it to form the state government in 2021 state polls.

"But due to continuous inner fight by a section of senior most leaders of Assam PCC, people lost faith on us and did not give mandate," he said.

Bora also stated that instead of being united in fighting the BJP which is a "serious threat to the democracy, constitution and secularism and economy of our country", Congress leaders at different levels are "fighting each other for their vested interests".

"This has given the BJP ample advantages to grow in every nook and corner in one hand and another, demoralising millions of Congress workers of the country," Bora wrote, adding that the leaders in Assam have been "not an exception".

"Under this backdrop, my conscience does not allow to continue in Congress party where the party's interest and ideology are being compromised in favour of BJP for some vested interest of few leaders," he also added.