GUWAHATI, June18: Senior Congress leaders in Assam on Friday admitted that the decision by four-time MLA from Mariani constituency, Rupjyoti Kurmi to resign from the primary membership of Congress, “comes as a surprise and is a loss” for the party.
Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Ripun Bora said that the resignation of the four-time legislator from the party to join the ruling party was unfortunate.
“Kurmi is an asset for the Congress as he has been one of the most vocal and active leaders of our party against BJP. However, such a decision by him to leave the party to join BJP has come as an unpleasant surprise for us,” Bora said, while reacting to the development.
The Assam PCC leader said that the Congress, has since its inception and in the past, been subject to major challenges – of national leaders quitting the party, of the party being divided into camps, et al.
“However, we have seen the party overcoming such challenges and becoming strong again. People have made the party stronger. Now had we prevailed in the recent Assembly elections in the state, these challenges would not have been confronted now. But we have to overcome them and I firmly believe and can say with conviction that we can again become strong in the days to come,” Bora added.
Kurmi, had on Friday morning resigned from his post, citing unhappiness and indifferences with the party leadership’s decisions and policies.
Party insiders said that Kurmi wanted to become the APCC president but was not considered by the central leadership.
Leader of the Opposition in the Assam Legislative Assembly and Nazira MLA, Debabrata Saikia, while reacting to the development, said that Kurmi’s resignation from the party, and decision to join the ruling party, would adversely affect the Opposition party in the immediate future.
“Kurmi has left the party at a critical juncture But we will try to reinforce the party in the long run. However, I feel there is a need for some introspection in regard to why some leaders such as Kurmi have expressed unhappiness and resigned from the party,” Saikia said.
On the other hand, Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi, speaking to reporters, questioned Kurmi’s decision to leave the party, while asking whether he gave more importance to the “ideals of the party when he joined politics or to his own self interest.”
“Despite several allegations made by Kurmi against the senior leaders of Congress, the party leadership never took any action against him. He was given a special privilege that way in the party,” Gogoi said.