Ex- Manipur Cong chief joins BJP, Assam MLA resigns from party

In North Eastern states, exodus from Congress continues. Two leaders left the party. Former Manipur Congress chief Govindas Konthoujam joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in New Delhi on Sunday in the presence of Manipur chief minister Nongthombam Biren Singh, party in charge for Manipur Sambit Patra, chief of Manipur unit of the party A Sharda Devi, union minister of state for education and foreign affairs Dr Rajkumar Ranjan Singh, a Lok Sabha Member of Parliament (MP) from Manipur and Rajya Sabha MP Maharaja Leishemba Sanajaoba.

The assembly elections in the state are schedule early next year. Konthoujam’s entry to the BJP was announced by the party’s national media in-charge & national spokesperson Anil Baluni. Govindas Konthoujam resigned as the Congress's Manipur unit chief last month. While tendering his resignation letter from the primary membership of the party at the Congress Bhawan in Imphal, Konthoujam said he had taken the step due to "personal reasons". Govindas Konthoujam is a former minister and six-time Congress MLA from Bishnupur in Manipur. He was also the chief whip of the Congress Legislature Party. He was appointed MPCC president in December 2020.

CM N Biren Singh said ever since Prime Minister Narendra Modi has come into power at the Centre, Manipur has been peaceful and doing well. "I was also in Congress. But if the driver is asleep, how will the vehicle move? There was violence, strike, bandh. But since PM Modi's government came in, things have been peaceful," the Manipur CM said. Singh said, "PM Narendra Modi has cared for the North East, and recently five ministers from the region have been inducted into the Union cabinet. Manipur promises to make PM Modi led government stronger."

In Assam,two-time Congress MLA Sushanta Borgohain on Friday resigned from the party with immediate effect citing "changed internal political atmosphere" within the party. He is the second Congress MLA to quit in less than three months of the second BJP-led government returning to power in Assam. Four-time MLA Rupjyoti Kurmi, who was the lone MLA from the Tea Tribe community in the Congress, had resigned as a legislator on June 18 and joined the BJP on June 21. Besides Borgohain, Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) General Secretary Barnali Saikia Bora, who was the OSD to former chief minister Tarun Gogoi, also resigned from the party. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said Borgohain is likely to join the BJP on August 2 and claimed that he will be followed by 2-3 more MLAs of the opposition parties.