Bhupen Borah hits back at Gaurav Gogoi, alleges cash collection, ticket irregularities in Congress

Guwahati, Feb 18 (IANS) Former Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Bhupen Kumar Borah on Wednesday launched a blistering counterattack on Lok Sabha member Gaurav Gogoi, exposing "sharp fault lines" within the Assam Congress that appear to be widening rapidly amid "defections and leadership turmoil".  

Reacting to the Congress leader's recent critical remarks against him, Borah questioned the Jorhat MP's political standing, asking, "Who is Gaurav Gogoi to demand an apology from me?"

Borah said he was surprised by Gogoi’s tone and asserted that he owed no explanation or apology, signalling a complete breakdown of trust between senior leaders of the party.

Escalating his attack, Borah made explosive allegations against Congress legislator Rakibul Hussain, claiming that money was collected from nearly 700 Congress candidates during elections.

He further alleged that the party had even issued a ticket in a by-election to a person who was not a Congress member, raising serious questions over organisational discipline and internal decision-making.

Borah claimed that discussions on denying Rakibul Hussain's ticket had taken place at the highest levels of the Congress leadership well in advance, suggesting that internal dissent against certain leaders was neither new nor isolated.

His remarks are being viewed as a public airing of long-simmering grievances within the state unit.

In a notable shift of tone, Borah heaped praise on BJP MLA Amiya Bhuyan, describing him as a leader with a "strong background".

He highlighted Bhuyan's role in leading the All Assam Students' Union (AASU), underlining his nationalist credentials - a statement seen by political observers as an attempt to realign narratives amid growing ideological confusion within the party.

Borah's sharp rebuttal comes against the backdrop of Gogoi's latest statement.

The war of words has intensified speculation about further exits from the Congress, especially with Borah himself set to join the BJP on February 22.

With the exit of Bhupen Borah, the Assam Congress appears increasingly adrift, offering the ruling BJP fresh ammunition to reinforce its claim that the opposition is imploding from within.

--IANS

tdr/svn