Ahead of the Assam legislative assembly elections, MP Pradyut Bordoloi resigned from the Congress party and on Wednesday formally joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the presence of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Assam BJP President Dilip Saikia. Bordoloi confirmed his decision to join the BJP when approached by the media.

He cited being sidelined by the Congress leadership and alleged internal mistreatment as reasons for ending his long-standing association with the party. Bordoloi emphasized that his resignation was driven by “multiple issues” rather than just ticket allocation for the Assam Assembly elections. “For me, securing a ticket was not a matter of life and death. My priority was to leave with dignity. Congress has given me a lot,” he said. He added that, despite being in his second term as a Lok Sabha MP with three years remaining, he chose to step down rather than accept humiliation.

Navajyoti Talukdar, who resigned as Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) Vice-President yesterday, confirmed that Bordoloi would join the BJP, praising Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma as a dynamic leader. Following Bordoloi’s resignation, Congress has nominated his son to contest from the Margherita Assembly constituency in the upcoming polls. Bordoloi’s exit comes a month after former Assam Congress chief Bhupen Kumar Borah, who spent three decades with the party, also joined the BJP.

The Assam Assembly elections, covering all 126 constituencies, are scheduled for April 9, with vote counting on May 4. The contest will pit the incumbent BJP-led NDA government against the Congress, with the BJP aiming for a third consecutive term under Chief Minister Sarma, while Congress seeks to reclaim power.