Assam BJP not to induct leaders from other parties

Assam unit of the BJP on Wednesday imposed a restriction on inducting leaders from other parties, days after at least three MPs and a former minister belonging to Congress switched to the saffron party.

The move comes days after Union minister Rameshwar Teli said here that several MPs, ministers and MLAs, particularly from the Congress party would join BJP soon.

Announcing the decision, president of the party's state unit, Ranjeet Kumar Dass, however, said the doors would remain open for leaders belonging to other fields like education, culture or student bodies.

Informing that 24 lakh new members have joined the party in the membership drive, Dass mentioned about the decision to bar further induction of political leaders from other parties.

He was addressing an induction programme, where former minister and a senior leader of Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), Rekha Rani Das Boro and other women leaders joined the BJP. AGP is the regional ally of the BJP-led government in Assam.

Sources within the party said that growing unhappiness and anger expressed by many BJP leaders over the induction of senior leaders from Congress prompted the decision.

Three Congress Rajya Sabha members from Assam—Bhubaneswar Kalita, Santiuse Kujur and Sanjoy Singh resigned and joined the BJP recently. Kalita is a former president of the state Congress unit. Gautam Roy, a former cabinet minister in Tarun Gogoi government also joined BJP, which triggered sharp reaction among party workers in Barak Valley in South Assam.