Less than 24 hours after leaving the Congress party, Pradyut Bordoloi has created a stir in Assam politics by securing a BJP ticket for the upcoming state assembly elections. Meanwhile, his son, Pratik Bordoloi, has decided not to contest as a Congress candidate from the Margherita assembly constituency. Congress Lok Sabha MP Pradyut Bordoloi severed his ties with the Congress on Wednesday by joining the BJP. The BJP has fielded him from Dispur and denied the ticket to sitting MLA Atul Bora.
According to media reports, Bora, a founding member of the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), won the Dispur seat in 1985. In 2013, Bora joined the BJP and won the seat for the party in two consecutive elections. Pradyut Bordoloi held the Margherita seat from 1998 to 2016. After losing the previous assembly elections, he contested and won the Nagaon Lok Sabha seat. He will again win the Nagaon seat in 2024.
Describing joining the BJP as emotionally difficult, Pradyut Bordoloi, a two-time MP and former minister in the Tarun Gogoi-led Congress government, said he felt suffocated and neglected within the party and was looking for a platform where he could work with respect. Bora, meanwhile, said, “I have been representing Dispur since 1985 and have defeated three chief ministers in my political career. I expected the party to consider my past record.”
Bora expressed regret over the current situation within the BJP, saying he was disillusioned. “Today, there is no working environment within the BJP,” he said. “The party is confused about where to turn. The party claims to be the largest party, yet it is now bringing in candidates from outside.”
