Assam Congress to expel nine MLAs for 'anti-party' activities

Guwahati: Congress on Sunday decided to expel its nine MLAs in Assam for "dissidence and anti-party activities" for which orders will be issued within a week.

"The party's executive body in the state has passed the resolution to expel nine existing Congress MLAs for their dissidence and anti-party activities. We will issue the orders within a week," Assam Pradesh Congress Committee President Anjan Dutta told PTI here.

The nine MLAs include Jayanta Mallah Baruah, Pijush Hazarika, Pallab Lochan Das and Pradan Barua, who are already under suspension since August.

The five other MLAs are - Abu Taher Bepari, Kripanath Mallah, Rajen Borthakur, Binanda Kumar Saikia and Bolin Chetia - who were served show cause notices but have not replied to those so far.

"The resolution was passed by the executive body after the disciplinary committee of the party recommended expulsion of all the nine MLAs along with former minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who has already joined the BJP," Dutta said.

Although Sarma was expelled earlier, the formal order expelling him will be issued along with the 9 MLAs, he added.

When asked about their fate in the Assembly, he said, "We will go as per the procedure. After expelling them from the party, we will intimate our decision to Congress Legislative Party. Then the CLP will decide what to do with them."

Action was initiated against the nine MLAs for welcoming Sarma at Guwahati airport on his return from Delhi after he had joined the BJP in August. Sarma had vacated his MLA seat and resigned from the Assembly on September 15.

Congress currently has a total strength of 77 MLAs, including the 9 dissidents, in the 126-member state Assembly.