Many BJP leaders lining up to join congress, claims Assam congress chief

Guwahati (The Uttam Hindu): Assam Congress President Bhupen Borah claimed on Sunday that at least 18 senior BJP leaders are eager to join the Congress party. He stated, "Many leaders from the BJP have expressed their willingness to join us. Around 18 senior BJP leaders are in touch with our party. However they have requested assurance regarding ticket allocations for the upcoming Assembly elections." Borah explained that while these leaders are interested in joining Congress the party cannot guarantee tickets due to the high demand within the opposition ranks. “We have many dynamic faces in our party, and they cannot be ignored,” he added.

In a separate development, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has ordered an inquiry into the death of Congress worker Mridul Islam, 45, who died after participating in a Congress protest march to Raj Bhawan in Guwahati earlier this week. The Congress party has alleged that excessive tear gas was used by the police to disrupt the protest leading to Islam's untimely death. The party has filed a complaint against the police stating that the use of tear gas was not only excessive but also indiscriminate impacting vulnerable individuals including children and the elderly. Mridul Islam, a lawyer and member of the State Congress Legal Cell, reportedly suffered injuries due to the police's actions. Assam Congress general secretary Bipul Gogoi emphasized that the excessive use of tear gas without provocation contributed directly to Islam’s tragic death. The party has demanded strict action against the police personnel responsible for the incident. However, Guwahati Commissioner of Police Diganta Barah has refuted the Congress party's claims stating that the cause of Mridul Islam’s death has yet to be determined.