Former Assam Cong Chief joins Trinamool Congress

By Our Special Correspondent

Former Assam PCC President Ripun Bora joined the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in Kolkata, hours after sending his resignation letter to congress chief Sonia Gandhi.

He joined along with a growing list of congress leaders, including RPN Singh, Ashok Tanwar, Jitin Prasada among others. A former minister in the Assam cabinet, Bora joined the TMC in the presence of party’s national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee. He had unsuccessfully contested last month’s Rajya Sabha elections. Bora’s wife and former Congress MLA, Monika, and son Siddharth were also present at the event.

Bora claimed the Congress stood as a divided party. A section of senior Congress leaders in Assam is maintaining a secret understanding with the BJP government,

During the past couple of years, the way the BJP, the symbol of communal and divisive forces, is growing across the country and is a serious threat to democracy, constitution, secularism and the economy of our country. But instead of fighting unitedly and aggressively to prevent the BJP at this critical juncture...leaders of grand old Congress party at different levels are fighting each other for their vested interest,”

“Instead, people in Assam know how chief minister Sarma recently mentioned that Bora is in regular touch with him and had called him four times ahead of the Rajya Sabha polls. Bora used to say that he will be a Congress worker till death, but today’s move showed that his integrity is doubtful and he is an opportunist,” he added.

Despite having efficient candidates the party had rewarded him by nominating in the Rajya Sabha election for the second straight time Congress spoke person Apurba Bhattacharya said, adding that Bora’s defection would not affect the party.