By PTI
GUWAHATI: The opposition Congress on Saturday wrote to Speaker of Assam Legislative Assembly Biswajit Daimary to disqualify Sushanta Borgohain as a MLA under anti-defection law following his resignation from the party.
Leader of Opposition in the assembly Debabrata Saikia in the letter to Daimary, requested him to take necessary action as per the 10th Schedule of the Indian Constitution’ and disqualify Borgohain. The 10th Schedule, which was enacted by the Parliament in 1985, contains the anti-defection law.
Earlier on Saturday, Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Bhupen Bora had accepted Borgohain’s resignation from the primary membership of the party. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sartma has said that Borgohain is likely to join the BJP on August 2.
On the basis of it, an APCC general secretary had written to the Congress’ legislature party’s chief whip, Wazed Ali Choudhury, to inform Saikia about the matter so that he may approach the Speaker for disqualification of Borgohain.
A two-time MLA from Thowra constituency in Sivasagar district, Borgohain had on Friday resigned from the Congress with immediate effect, citing “changed internal political atmosphere” within the party.
He is the second Congress MLA to quit the party in less than three months of the second BJP-led government assuming power in Assam. Four-time MLA Rupjyoti Kurmi, who was the lone legislator from the Tea Tribe community in the Congress, had resigned from the Assembly on June 18 and joined the BJP on June 21.
APCC general secretary Barnali Saikia Bora, who was an OSD to former chief minister Tarun Gogoi, also resigned from Congress on Friday. Besides flight of two legislators, the grand old party is facing many other party leaders crossing over to the saffron party in the state.
Among other prominent leaders who have left the Congress fold in the last couple of months is Jury Sharma Bordoloi, who was the Guwahati district president of Congress and had resigned from the party on the same day as Kurmi and taken membership of the BJP on July 2.
Former minister Rajib Lochan Pegu had quit as the president of the Majuli district unit of Congress on July 6 amid reports that he too will join the ruling BJP soon. Following the exit of Borgohain from the assembly, the Congress’ strength in the 126-member House will come down to 27, while that of BJP stands at 59.
The AIUDF has 16 MLAs, AGP has nine, UPPL has five, BPF has three and CPI(M) has one MLA. There is one Independent MLA also. Two MLAs have died and two have resigned. Besides Kurmi, former chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal also resigned and joined the Union Cabinet as a minister.
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