BJP confident of Assam win after Bordoloi joins, says Ramdas Athawale

Union Minister of State (MoS) for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale on Wednesday exuded confidence in the victory of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the upcoming Assam assembly elections after Congress leader Pradyut Bordoloi's resignation, stating that it has weakened the opposition party.

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This comes as senior leader Pradyut Bordoloi joined the BJP in the presence of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and state BJP president Dilip Saikia, days ahead of the single-phase assembly polls scheduled to be held on April 9.

Speaking with ANI, Athawale criticised Congress over its members leaving while reflecting on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership skills in expanding the BJP and the NDA. "The Congress party is becoming weak. With PM Narendra Modi at the forefront, he has been highly active. PM Modi has successfully expanded the BJP and the NDA throughout the nation. In Assam, our government is on the verge of coming to power. A growing number of people are leaving the Congress party and joining the BJP," said Athawale, whose tenure as Rajya Sabha MP concluded today.

BJP Leaders Cite Lack of Internal Democracy in Congress

Additionally, BJP leader Deepak Prakash attributed the reason for Bordoloi's resignation to Congress' alleged lack of internal democracy. "Because of the attitude of the Congress, he had to resign. There is no internal democracy; their working style is not aligned with democratic principles, nor do they show faith in the Constitution. Therefore, any citizen who believes in democracy cannot stand with Congress, nor work for it," Prakash told ANI.

BJP MP Arun Govil said, "This reflects what's happening in Congress. It's true that if anyone feels stifled or pressured, they are free to leave."

'Decided to Leave and Work': Pradyut Bordoloi

Meanwhile, Pradyut Bordoloi accused the Congress leadership of sidelining him, which led to the end of his lifelong association with the party amid allegations of internal mistreatment. He clarified that the resignation stemmed from "multiple issues" as opposed to a singular ticket allocation for the upcoming Assam assembly elections.

"For me, getting a ticket was not a question of life and death. There were multiple issues. What was important for me was to hold my head high. The Congress party has given me a lot," he told the media.

"I want to make it very clear that I am in my second term in Lok Sabha, and there are another three years to go. I could have accepted the humiliation if I wanted to remain as an MP. But I decided to leave and work," he added.

Assam Election Schedule

Elections in Assam for all 126 Assembly constituencies will be held in a single phase on April 9, while the counting of votes is scheduled for May 4, the Election Commission of India announced on Sunday. (ANI)