Guwahati, Jan. 26: Assam PCC general secretary Ankur Dutta this morning joined the ruling BJP here, a move which saw the Congress expelling him from the party.

Dutta is one of the several leaders who have defected to the BJP after it came to power in the April Assembly polls.

The development assumes significance because Dutta, the secretary of the Assam Football Association and executive member of All India Football Federation, is also the brother-in-law of former state unit chief Anjan Dutta who passed away in June last year.

The Congress’s chief spokesperson Apurba Bhattacharjee announced the expulsion after it was cleared by state president Ripun Bora, soon after 57-year-old Dutta joined the BJP at its state unit headquarters today in the presence of newly appointed president Ranjeet Kumar Dass and other office-bearers.

Bhattacharjee said “no time limit” has been fixed when asked about the period Dutta has been expelled for.
Dutta, from Jorhat, said there was no question of expelling him as he had submitted his resignation yesterday at Rajiv Bhawan.

He cited the poriborton (change) ushered in by the BJP-led government both at the Centre and the state as the main reason for joining the party. He was also unhappy with the Opposition Congress for not giving him due recognition despite serving the party “for 20 long years”.

‘Since people want poriborton, I joined the BJP. I am happy with the functioning of the BJP governments at the Centre and Dispur and am more happy because they are giving due importance to sport. I have not joined for any position. I will contribute to the party as a simple member,” Dutta said.

Dutta had in the past tried to contest from Jorhat Assembly constituency but was denied a ticket in favour of AICC secretary Rana Goswami.