Assam Cong legislator quits party, Assembly

Guwahati: A Congress MLA, Mansingh Rongpi on Thursday resigned from Assam Assembly as well as from the Congress party as he is going to join the ruling BJP party soon.
Rongpi informed that he had also faxed his resignation from the membership of Congress to the Congress president Sonia Gandhi. He said he was going to join the BJP.
State BJP leader and cabinet minister Dr Himanta Bishwa Sarma informed, “Rongpi had contacted the BJP for joining the party and he was advised to resign from the Assembly and Congress party before joining the BJP.”
The Speaker of Assam Assembly Ranjit Kumar Dass has accepted his resignation. The by-election to Baithalangshu constituency will now have to be held within six months. Rongpi had won from Baithalangshu constituency in Karbi Anglong hill district of Assam in the election held in April this year by defeating his nearest BJP rival with a margin of over 8000 votes.
With his resignation the strength of Congress has reduced to 25 MLAs in the 126-member Assam Assembly.
Rongpi belongs to Karbi tribe in Karbi Anglong hill district of Assam. There is no reaction forthcoming from Assam Pradesh Congress Committee over Rongpi’s resignation.