Assam Congress seeks disqualification of 2 MLAs for supporting BJP govt

Two Congress MLAs including a working president of the party’s state unit decided to extend support to the BJP-led government for the development work done by it

Guwahati: Amid internal turmoil ahead of the coming Lok Sabha polls, opposition Congress in Assam on Friday sought disqualification of two of its MLAs from the assembly for supporting the government led by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Disqualification petitions have been filed against Congress MLAs Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha and Shri Basanta Das. (Facebook/Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha)

As reported earlier, on February 14 two Congress MLAs including a working president of the party’s state unit decided to extend support to the BJP-led government for the development work done by it.

“As the Congress legislature party leader, I have filed two disqualification petitions before Speaker Biswajit Daimary seeking disqualification of Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha and Shri Basanta Das from membership of Assam legislative assembly for voluntarily giving up membership of the Congress,” leader of opposition Debabrata Saikia informed.

Purkayastha, who represents the North Karimganj seat, was working president of the Congress, Das had won from the Mangaldoi seat. Both MLAs had met Chief Minister earlier thisHimanta Biswa Sarma month and expressed their support to the government without quitting from the party or resigning as legislators.

Congress state unit president Bhupen Kumar Borah had on February 14 issued show cause notices to both Purkayastha and Das asking them to explain why the party should not take disciplinary actions against them.

Apart from these two MLAs, two others are expected to join Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), a partner of the BJP-led coalition in Assam, in the next few days.

One of them is stated to be Siddique Ahmed, who had earlier been suspended by Congress for anti-party activities. “I am waiting for a green signal from CM Sarma. Once I get that, I will join AGP,” Ahmed told journalists.

Leaders in BJP and AGP informed that many more MLAs and leaders from Congress would be joining the National Democratic Alliace (NDA) ahead of the general election.

Though last month’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra across the state by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was expected to boost the party’s prospects, it seems to have had an opposite effect: While MLAs are deserting the party, senior leaders and sitting MPs are squabbling for Lok Sabha seats.

Congress had won 29 seats (of the total 126) in the assembly polls held in 2021. But within months, the number reduced to 27 after two of its legislators resigned and joined the BJP. They later won from the same seats on BJP tickets.