Guwahati, March 30: Former Lok Sabha MP Kirip Chaliha and ex-Assam minister Chittaranjan Patwari today resigned from the Congress expressing their displeasure over the functioning of its leadership in the state.
Chaliha is known to be close to chief minister Tarun Gogoi's bete noire and BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma.
Addressing a news conference here today, Chaliha, flanked by Patwari, said they have resigned from the primary membership of the party and sent their resignation letters to Assam PCC president Anjan Dutta.
Former Congress legislator Hiranya Bora and former Tezpur MP Iswar Prasanna Hazarika have lent their support to the duo.
Bora had resigned from the party in June, accusing Dutta of insulting him and dishonouring his contribution to the party.
He quit the party after Assam PCC served showcause notice to him for allegedly making derogatory comments against Dutta in the media.
Chaliha said they had time and again expressed their displeasure before the party high command over the functioning of the party leadership in Assam but it apparently fell on deaf ears.
He said they were left with no other option but to resign from the Congress since the party had "deviated from its basic principles and ideologies".
"The Congress leadership in Assam has failed to protect the interests of the indigenous people of the state vis-à-vis illegal migration from Bangladesh and curb corruption in the state," he said.
"There are so many Congress leaders in Assam who are facing serious corruption charges, including involvement in Saradha scam. But instead of taking any action against them the chief minister is blaming Himanta Biswa Sarma as if he is only responsible for all corruption during the Congress rule and the party has become clean after Sarma quit the Congress to join the BJP," Chaliha said.
Asked about whether he would join the BJP, Chaliha replied that he was yet to take any such decision.
He, however, said he would support the BJP if it worked in the interest of the people of Assam.
"Yesterday I met BJP's chief ministerial candidate Sarbananda Sonowal and urged him to take a bold stand against corruption if his party comes to power in the state," he said.
Echoing Chaliha, Patwari said there was mafia raj and rampant corruption in the Congress in Assam and even Dutta was cross-examined by the CBI in connection with a scam.
Reacting to the resignations, senior Assam PCC spokesperson Dwijen Sarma today said politicians switching sides during election time is a common phenomenon.
"This has not happened for the first time. Earlier also some senior leaders had left the party during elections but returned to the party fold later," Sarma said.
Regarding Mehdi Alam Bora quitting Congress to join the BJP, Sarma accused him of joining hands with the communal forces.
