<p>Guwahati: A week after quiting Congress in poll-bound Assam, former president of Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC), Bhupen Kumar Borah, formally joined BJP on Sunday with a warning that "many more would follow the suit" as the high Congress command did not act on the issues raised by him in his resignation letter.</p><p>"I did not resign from Congress to join BJP. When I submitted the resignation letter, I was expecting that the party will do serious introspection and correct the issues I raised. But the top leaders including Rahul Gandhi spoke to me and AICC leaders came to my residence too. But when I spoke to Rahul Gandhi, the message I got is that I will have to tolerate the insult inside the party. Then I decided to leave. But many more will come if the issues raised by me are not corrected," Borah said soon after Dilip Saikia, president of BJP's Assam unit, formally handed over the BJP membership slip to him at Vajpayee Bhawan, BJP's state headquarters here. </p><p>Borah, former two-time MLA, who had served as the president of APCC for nearly five years, between 2021 and May 2025, quit Congress on February 17 while complaining over the way the party was being run by the present Gaurav Gogoi, a Lok Sabha member and son of his former mentor, Tarun Gogoi. In fact, after Himanta Biswa Sarma quit BJP in 2015 after leading the dissidents, Tarun Gogoi publicly called Borah "my right hand man." Borah and Rana Goswami, another Congress leader who similarly joined BJP in February 2024, became former CM Tarun Gogoi's two "trusted lieutenants." Gogoi died in November 2020 due to covid-related complications. </p>.Former Assam Congress chief Bhupen Borah joins BJP.<p>Borah was made the APCC President in 2021 to steer the party after its two consecutive defeats to BJP. He however, was replaced by Gaurav as APCC president in May 2025 after the Opposition party lost the by-polls for five Assembly constituencies. Borah was chairman of the party's campaign committee for 2026 polls. </p><p>Borah also blamed Rakibul Hussain, a Lok Sabha Member from Dhubri and also a former minister trusted by Gogoi. "The APCC has become APCC (R) now," Borah told reporters while tacitly referring to Rakibul, who along with Himanta were two "trusted lieutenants" before the rise of Borah and Goswami, both in Congress and in Tarun Gogoi government. Gogoi government was defeated by BJP in 2016 and the saffron party formed its first government in Assam with Sarbananda Sonowal as the CM. Sarma replaced Sonowal in 2021 when BJP formed the government for the second straight term. </p><p>Borah's joining although came as a blow to Congress ahead of Assembly elections slated in April, Debabrate Saikia, the leader of the Congress legislature party, said, "He has joined BJP but Congress members who worked under him in his constituency and elsewhere are still with the party. They are against his decision. So this will not make any impact on us." Debabrata is the son of former CM Hiteswar Saikia. </p><p>Gaurav Gogoi recently even accused Borah of passing on the inside information of Congress to Himanta.</p>
<p>Guwahati: A week after quiting Congress in poll-bound Assam, former president of Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC), Bhupen Kumar Borah, formally joined BJP on Sunday with a warning that "many more would follow the suit" as the high Congress command did not act on the issues raised by him in his resignation letter.</p><p>"I did not resign from Congress to join BJP. When I submitted the resignation letter, I was expecting that the party will do serious introspection and correct the issues I raised. But the top leaders including Rahul Gandhi spoke to me and AICC leaders came to my residence too. But when I spoke to Rahul Gandhi, the message I got is that I will have to tolerate the insult inside the party. Then I decided to leave. But many more will come if the issues raised by me are not corrected," Borah said soon after Dilip Saikia, president of BJP's Assam unit, formally handed over the BJP membership slip to him at Vajpayee Bhawan, BJP's state headquarters here. </p><p>Borah, former two-time MLA, who had served as the president of APCC for nearly five years, between 2021 and May 2025, quit Congress on February 17 while complaining over the way the party was being run by the present Gaurav Gogoi, a Lok Sabha member and son of his former mentor, Tarun Gogoi. In fact, after Himanta Biswa Sarma quit BJP in 2015 after leading the dissidents, Tarun Gogoi publicly called Borah "my right hand man." Borah and Rana Goswami, another Congress leader who similarly joined BJP in February 2024, became former CM Tarun Gogoi's two "trusted lieutenants." Gogoi died in November 2020 due to covid-related complications. </p>.Former Assam Congress chief Bhupen Borah joins BJP.<p>Borah was made the APCC President in 2021 to steer the party after its two consecutive defeats to BJP. He however, was replaced by Gaurav as APCC president in May 2025 after the Opposition party lost the by-polls for five Assembly constituencies. Borah was chairman of the party's campaign committee for 2026 polls. </p><p>Borah also blamed Rakibul Hussain, a Lok Sabha Member from Dhubri and also a former minister trusted by Gogoi. "The APCC has become APCC (R) now," Borah told reporters while tacitly referring to Rakibul, who along with Himanta were two "trusted lieutenants" before the rise of Borah and Goswami, both in Congress and in Tarun Gogoi government. Gogoi government was defeated by BJP in 2016 and the saffron party formed its first government in Assam with Sarbananda Sonowal as the CM. Sarma replaced Sonowal in 2021 when BJP formed the government for the second straight term. </p><p>Borah's joining although came as a blow to Congress ahead of Assembly elections slated in April, Debabrate Saikia, the leader of the Congress legislature party, said, "He has joined BJP but Congress members who worked under him in his constituency and elsewhere are still with the party. They are against his decision. So this will not make any impact on us." Debabrata is the son of former CM Hiteswar Saikia. </p><p>Gaurav Gogoi recently even accused Borah of passing on the inside information of Congress to Himanta.</p>