Internal tensions within the Indian National Congress in Assam have intensified after Nagaon MP Pradyut Bordoloi issued an ultimatum to the party’s central leadership, threatening to resign over the selection of a candidate for the Lahorighat Assembly constituency ahead of the upcoming Assam Assembly elections.
In a strongly worded letter addressed to Jitendra Singh, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary in charge of Assam, Bordoloi expressed “pain and anguish” over what he described as the party leadership’s failure to address his concerns regarding the candidature of sitting MLA Asif Mohammad Nazar.
Bordoloi also accused Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Gaurav Gogoi and senior Congress leader Imran Masood of humiliating him during internal discussions on the issue.
The Nagaon MP said that although his political life had been shaped by the Congress and he had always taken pride in being a first-generation politician nurtured by the party, recent developments had deeply hurt him.
According to Bordoloi, his concerns stem from a violent attack he allegedly faced on April 27, 2025. He claimed that a group of around 20 masked assailants armed with iron rods attacked the vehicle in which he was travelling with MLA Sibamoni Bora at Doomdoomia in Dhing.
Bordoloi alleged that Nagaon Police had arrested and chargesheeted Emdadul Islam, whom he described as a “history-sheeter” and a close associate of MLA Asif Nazar, as the alleged mastermind behind the attack.
He further claimed that after Islam was granted bail, he was accorded a “hero’s welcome” and publicly received by Nazar before being taken to the residence of APCC president Gaurav Gogoi. Bordoloi also alleged that the accused was felicitated during a programme attended by Gogoi earlier this year.
Bordoloi said he had raised the issue with the party leadership and later placed evidence before the party’s screening committee chaired by Priyanka Gandhi, opposing Nazar’s candidature in the 2026 Assembly elections.
However, he alleged that during a meeting of the Congress Central Election Committee in New Delhi on March 13, Imran Masood dismissed his allegations as “false and fabricated” in front of senior leaders including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, leader Rahul Gandhi, and AICC general secretary K. C. Venugopal.
Calling the episode humiliating, Bordoloi wrote that the silence of the APCC president during the discussion further compounded his distress. He urged Jitendra Singh to intervene and examine the evidence he had submitted.
Meanwhile, responding to reports of internal dissent after the party released its second list of candidates, Gaurav Gogoi dismissed speculation of rebellion within the Congress.
Speaking to reporters in Tezpur on March 15, Gogoi said no resignation letter had been received from any senior leader and stressed that discussions within the party were part of the normal political process.
“In the larger interest of Assam, everyone must remain united. There is no rebellion within the Congress,” Gogoi said, adding that public enthusiasm had increased following the announcement of the candidate list.
His remarks came amid speculation of unrest within the party after senior Congress leader Praneshwar Basumatary resigned soon after the second list of candidates was announced.
During his visit to Tezpur, Gogoi also met party workers and supporters who gathered in large numbers at Hotel Greenwood to discuss organisational preparations for the upcoming elections.
Adding another dimension to the political developments, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma reiterated his earlier claim that Pradyut Bordoloi might eventually leave the Congress and join the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Speaking to reporters, Sarma said he had known Bordoloi for over 15 years and believed the senior leader would not remain in the Congress for long. He suggested that many leaders continue in the party despite internal dissatisfaction but eventually decide to move on.
Sarma added that in Bordoloi’s case, he believed such a shift could take place before the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.
