Guwahati: Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi on Wednesday said Nagaon MP Pradyut Bordoloi resigned for personal reasons without considering the party’s interests, even though Congress had favoured not only him but also his son by granting an assembly election ticket.After arriving in Assam from New Delhi, Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi, while travelling from Dibrugarh Airport to his home constituency of Jorhat, described Bordoloi’s resignation as unfortunate but said it was driven by personal reasons. Referring to the future of Bordoloi’s son, Prateek Bordoloi, who has been named the Congress candidate from Margherita, Gaurav said the decision now lies with Prateek, while underlining that the party high command’s position on the Margherita seat will be final.“We all have accepted Bordoloi’s decision as unfortunate. His decision was his personal decision,” said Gaurav.He said Congress had given Pradyut Bordoloi a Lok Sabha ticket in the 2024 general election and, for the upcoming assembly polls, had also given a ticket to another member of his family. Even so, Gaurav said, Bordoloi remained upset for personal reasons. “Upcoming assembly election is very important. This election will decide the future of Assam. The main issue of the election is that the people of Assam do not want Himanta Biswa Sarma as chief minister again. Now, if Pradyut Bordoloi wants to see Himanta Biswa Sarma as chief minister again, it is his own decision,” said Gaurav, taking a swipe at Bordoloi, who joined the BJP in New Delhi on Wednesday.Pradyut Bordoloi accused Congress leadership of sidelining him and vented ire at Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi for allegedly backing sitting MLA from Laharighat Asif Nazar, whom Bordoloi accused of orchestrating an attack on him during panchayat election last year. Bordoloi also alleged that Saharanpur MP Imran Masood, a member of Congress screening committee for Assam election, was supporting Nazar’s candidature from Laharighat seat while Bordoloi was opposing it.With Prateek having rushed to New Delhi to meet his father and facing uncertainty over whether to contest the assembly election after Pradyut Bordoloi’s resignation, Gaurav said he sympathised with him.Prateek, a youth leader and co-chairman of social media department of Assam PCC, was given the ticket for the Margherita seat, which his father Pradyut had represented several times. “Prateek Bordoloi never imagined that he would face such a situation. My sympathy and moral support are with him. I will talk to him regarding the decision he wants to take. I will also try to know what discussion takes place in our Central Election Committee (CEC) meeting regarding the Margherita seat tonight,” said Gaurav, who went to Pradyut’s residence in New Delhi on Tuesday night along with the party’s Assam in-charge Jitendra Singh, to persuade him to remain in Congress but was unsuccessful.Gaurav said he has returned from New Delhi after offering suggestions to the AICC and that it is now up to the CEC to take a call on the seats. He also referred to the possibility of including Raijor Dal in the Congress-led alliance. “We have talked to Akhil Gogoi over phone and gave an appeal to him. Now it’s up to his party to decide on our proposal,” Gaurav said.A five-party opposition alliance comprising Congress, Assam Jatiya Parishad, All Party Hill Leaders Conference, CPM and CPI-ML (Liberation) has already been finalised. However, the Akhil Gogoi-led regional party Raijor Dal could not be included because of disagreements with Congress over seat-sharing.Congress may release a third list of candidates at any moment, with the party’s CEC scheduled to hold a crucial meeting amid a deepening crisis in the Assam unit following MP Pradyut Bordoloi’s switch to the BJP.
