Guwahati, Sept 8: In a major political realignment ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections, three prominent leaders from Assam switched sides to the Congress on Monday, delivering a blow to the ruling BJP-AGP coalition.
Those who crossed over include former Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) general secretary and ex-Kamalpur MLA Satyabrata Kalita, former Sipajhar BJP MLA Binanda Saikia, and former Baithalangso BJP MLA Dr. Mansing Rongpi. They were formally inducted into the Congress at the party headquarters in New Delhi.
Welcoming the leaders, Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president and MP Gaurav Gogoi called the development “a turning point for Assam Congress.” He remarked, “This is a historic day because the leadership that has joined us today truly represents the issues of the people. The Himanta Biswa Sarma government is not a people’s government—it works neither for farmers, youth, women, nor small traders. It only serves the personal interests of the chief minister and his family. Even BJP and AGP workers now realize that their coalition has turned into Himanta Biswa’s private company.”
Gogoi underlined that while Binanda Saikia and Dr. Mansing Rongpi were returning to their political roots in the Congress, Kalita’s exit from AGP signaled the weakening of the regional party under BJP’s dominance. He hinted that this was only the beginning, adding, “Today’s induction is just a preview—more defections from the ruling coalition can be expected before the 2026 polls.”
The induction ceremony was attended by top Congress leaders, including AICC general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal, Assam in-charge Jitendra Singh, MPs Pradyut Bordoloi and Rakibul Hussain, and Assam Mahila Congress president Mira Borthakur.
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