NEW DELHI: Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday claimed there is a “schedule” for several senior Congress leaders to join the BJP in the poll-bound state, a day after former Assam Congress chief Bhupen Borah switched to the ruling party.Sarma, himself a former Congressman, added that finally, “no Hindu would be left” in the opposition party in Assam.At a programme in Guwahati, he was asked whether more Congress MLAs would join the BJP ahead of the assembly elections, expected in April.“There is no vacancy in the BJP now. If we bring in MLAs now, how will we give them tickets?” Sarma replied.“There is a schedule, and they (Congress leaders) will join according to that. Some will join in 2027, some before the 2029 Lok Sabha polls, and others before the 2031 assembly polls. One thing, however, is sure that no Hindu leader will remain in the party,” he said, referring to the Congress.The Assam CM further stated the saffron party has almost finalised its list of candidates, with the remaining names to be discussed with allies. He noted that the final list would be announced after consultations with the BJP central leadership in Delhi.Borah, who headed the Assam unit of the Congress from July 2021 to May 2025, resigned on February 16. He sought time to “reconsider” his decision after speaking with Rahul Gandhi, the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha and the party’s former national president. The Congress’s state leadership also rushed to Borah’s residence in an attempt to persuade him to withdraw his resignation.However, Sarma met Borah the following day and announced that the former state Congress chief would join the BJP, dealing a significant setback ahead of the assembly elections.Since then, Sarma has maintained that “several senior Hindu leaders” of Assam Congress would move to the BJP.(With PTI inputs)
