GUWAHATI – In a significant shift for Assam’s political landscape, senior leader and former state unit president Bhupen Kumar Borah has officially resigned from the Indian National Congress. The move, coming just months before the state’s high-stakes Assembly elections, deals a heavy blow to the party’s attempts to present a unified front.
Borah, a seasoned politician and two-term MLA from the Bihpuria constituency, formally submitted his resignation to the party leadership on Monday morning. His departure marks the end of a 32-year career with the Congress, during which he served as the president of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) from 2021 until he was succeeded by Gaurav Gogoi in mid-2025.
Internal Discord and Strategic Differences
While Borah stated that his decision followed a period of “reflection” and was not due to any single individual, his resignation letter reportedly cited feelings of being “ignored” by the current leadership. In a press interaction in Guwahati, Borah expressed concern over the party’s future roadmap, hinting at deep-seated disagreements over how the Congress is navigating the current political climate in Assam.
“I have served the Congress for 32 years, and I am worried about the future of the party. I have not taken the decision to resign to bid farewell to politics.” — Bhupen Kumar Borah
Impact on the 2026 Electoral Strategy
Borah’s exit is particularly damaging for the Congress as he was recently tasked with leading alliance negotiations with regional parties like the Raijor Dal and Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP). Known for his “practical” approach to grassroots organizing, his departure leaves a vacuum in the party’s district-level network and complicates the formation of a united opposition “Mahajot.”
