Over 9,500 new members including some from BJP join Congress months ahead of elections in Assam

Gaurav Gogoi said more and more people were joining Congress as they were upset with the BJP-led government's failure and the "autocratic style" of CM Himanta Biswa Sarma.

Guwahati: The Congress in Assam on Monday said nearly 9,500 members including some from ruling BJP joined it, something which the Opposition party saw as a push in the run up to next year's Assembly elections.

The joining programmes were organised in all 35 districts across Assam, the party said.

Joining programmes were organised in all districts, from Dhubri, Goalpara, Bongaigaon and Kamrup in western Assam to Morigaon and Nagaon in central Assam to eastern Assam's Jorhat, Sivasagar, Charaideo and Dibrugarh. Similar joining took place in North Assam districts like Dhemaji, Lakhimpur and Sonitpur.

Lok Sabha member from Dhubri and former minister Rakibul Hussain attended the joining programme in Dhubri.

Addressing a similar joining programme at Philobari in Tinsukia district, Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) President Gaurav Gogoi attacked the BJP-led government alleging that the general public were being "crushed under coal syndicates, sand syndicates, supari (betel nut) syndicates, and illegal tax." Gogoi also lamented the poor condition of Assam’s tea industry.

In Guwahati, more than 100 people formally joined the Congress under the initiative of the Guwahati District Congress Committee. The event was attended by Leader of the Opposition Debabrata Saikia, former presidents Ripun Bora and Bhupen Bora, former MP Abdul Khaleque, and Assam Pradesh Mahila Congress president Mira Barthakur. Among those who joined were lawyers from the Gauhati High Court, senior citizens, and members who had held key posts in the BJP, APCC said.

Gaurav said more and more people were joining Congress as they were upset with the BJP-led government's failure and the "autocratic style" of CM Himanta Biswa Sarma. "Keeping this mind, we organised joining programmes on September 10, October 10 and today (November 10). We will organise similar joining programme on December 10 also," Gogoi said.

Reacting to the joining, CM Sarma said Gogoi was displaying "childish behaviour" and lacked maturity as a politician.