Guwahati, Oct 18: In another major shot in arm for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Assam, more opposition leaders have joined the saffron party in the State. As per reports, list of opposition leaders including two elected representatives of the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) Rajib Brahma and Prabhat Basumatary and tea tribe youth leaders Gautam Dhanowar and Pradip Majhi joined the ruling BJP on Sunday.

The representatives joined the saffron party in the presence of Assam BJP president Bhabesh Kalita.

Congress candidate for Patacharkuchi Assembly seat in 2016 Assembly elections, Sailen Kalita, also joined the BJP on Sunday. It may be mentioned that the bye-polls to five seats in Assam are slated for October 30, and the BJP is gunning for all the seats.

Congress and BPF leaders joining BJP bears significance ahead of the forthcoming by-polls in five Assam Assembly seats.

List of leaders to have joined BJP recently

Notably, ever since Himanta Biswa Sarma was sworn-in as the Chief Minister of Assam, many Congress leaders have shifted allegiance to BJP. Two prominent leaders joining the BJP after Sarma assumed the CM’s office include:

– Congress’ two-time MLA from Thowra in Assam, Sushanta Borgohain joined BJP on August 1, 2021

– Congress’ four-time MLA from Mariani, Rupjyoti Kurmi joined BJP on June 21, 2021
The exodus of leaders from Congress and other regional parties to BJP has been an ongoing process since late 2020, before the Assam Assembly elections of 2021.