Bordoloi joins BJP after quitting Congress ahead of Assam polls

In a fresh political setback ahead of the Assam elections, sitting MP Pradyut Bordoloi joined the BJP on Wednesday, a day after quitting Congress, further impacting the party’s already fragile ranks.Bordoloi joined the BJP in the presence of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and state BJP president Dilip Saikia.Confirming the development, Sarma said, “Today the sitting Congress MP has joined BJP. As you know, Pradyut Bordoloi is a senior MP. His joining BJP will definitely strengthen BJP.” He added that the party’s national leadership had approved Bordoloi’s induction a day earlier and pointed out that the MP still has three years left in his current term.

#WATCH | Delhi | Assam MP Pradyut Bordoloi joins the BJP in the presence of Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma and Assam BJP President, Dilip Saikia. pic.twitter.com/tRHHqzDSH5

— ANI (@ANI) March 18, 2026

The switch comes less than a month after former Assam Congress president Bhupen Kumar Borah crossed over to the BJP, deepening the crisis for the opposition party in the state. With Bordoloi’s withdrawal, the Congress has lost one of its three Lok Sabha MPs from Assam, raising concerns as the state heads into elections.Bordoloi, a two-time MP from Nagaon and a former minister in the Tarun Gogoi government, had sent a brief resignation letter to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge.“With an overwhelming sense of sadness today, I hereby tender my resignation from all posts, privileges and the primary membership of the Indian National Congress,” he wrote.
Senior Congress leaders sought to play down the development. AICC general secretary in-charge of Assam Jitendra Singh said, “The Congress blood runs in the veins of Bordoloi. We are members of one family and will remain so.”State Congress chief Gaurav Gogoi alleged that attempts were being made to politically target Bordoloi, saying such developments were being amplified to malign him.
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra indicated that Bordoloi’s exit was linked to internal disagreements. “He was unhappy over ticket distribution. This was unfortunate,” she said.Sources within the party also pointed to tensions over candidate selection, including Bordoloi’s objections to the possible renomination of certain leaders in constituencies under his influence.

#WATCH | Delhi | On the resignation of Assam MP Pradyut Bordoloi from the party, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra says," It is very unfortunate. I think he was upset over one ticket allocation, and we wish we had a chance to have a conversation about it." pic.twitter.com/SuLJFmpiSx

— ANI (@ANI) March 18, 2026

Bordoloi, a former MLA from Margherita and once chairman of the party’s manifesto committee, had been a key face of the Congress in Assam. His exit, along with that of close aide Nabajyoti Talukdar earlier the same day, signals growing unease within the party.The Congress currently has three Lok Sabha MPs from the state, and the loss of one ahead of elections is being seen as a significant setback.

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