The pain of being Bhupen Borah, a Hindu Congressi
It takes a lot of guts to continue as a Congressman in Assam these days. The resignation of former Assam Congress state president Bhupen Borah has opened a can of worms.
If you read between the lines and listen to what the Assam Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, has to say—being in the Congress party is like being in his B-Team. Continuous claims by the chief minister that he has all the information about what’s going on inside the party in Assam and Delhi can surely be disheartening for those who want to dislodge him from power in the coming years. The confidence displayed by the chief minister about the information he holds against the Assam Congress reveals the infighting inside the party. It is in the open that many groups are fighting for vital party responsibilities within the state unit, a cause of concern for Rahul Gandhi and his team before the Assam polls.
Bhupen Borah’s revelations tell a story where we can assume that the Congress party in Assam is slowly getting divided into Hindu Congressis and Muslim Congressis. Each vaguely trying to get more seats for their community in the coming Assam Legislative Assembly election.
Bhupen Borah has stated to media representatives that he does not want to serve the APCC (R). The (R) here is a guess that it is none other than Rockybul Hussain, Member of Parliament from Dhubri. As per media reports and accusations by Bhupen Borah, Hussain has turned out to be the main person who is behind everything that is wrong with the state unit. Though his following among the Muslim masses of Assam will soon be tested in the coming election.
Bhupen Borah has inflicted irreparable damage by resigning from the party at a time when the Election Commission of India (ECI) officials are on a visit to review preparedness for the soon-to-be held assembly polls in Assam sometime in April-May 2026. The timing of his resignation indicates that the senior-most “Hindu” Congressi Leader has been in constant touch with the BJP. CM Himanta’s direct offer to provide him with a constituency and respectful place in BJP indicates that the plan was already laid.
Two-time MLA, Bhupen Borah led the state Congress unit from 2021 to 2025 trying to revive the party. But he was removed and Gaurav Gogoi was entrusted to lead the party in the coming Assam elections. This might be one of the main reasons for his resignation as according to him, he had tirelessly worked for the party’s revival and was ‘ignored’ by his colleagues and the central leadership.
Now the Congress can call him a traitor, or opportunist—Borah does not care much about it. He has put the blame on the Congress for not being able to see what was happening and what is coming. The recent joinings from Congress to BJP has seen a surge and Vajpayee Bhawan (BJP Assam Headquarters) has been busy organising joining events for those coming from the grand old party.
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