GUWAHATI, Dec 20: In a unique political development, a Congress MLA from an Assembly constituency in central Assam met chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma here on Monday and “expressed his desire to support the state government in the interest of his constituency.”

Disclosing the development before mediapersons, the chief minister said Congress legislator from Raha LAC, Sashi Kanta Das however has not yet joined the ruling party but would support the state government by being in the Opposition.

“Raha MLA Sashi Kanta Das has expressed his desire to be with the state government for the development of Raha constituency. He will cooperate with the government,” Sarma said after welcoming Das with a gamosa at his office in the Assam Assembly.

Das had defeated Asom Gana Parishad candidate Bishnu Das in the state Assembly elections earlier this year.

Raha constituency has an almost equal mix of voters from both majority (Hindu) and minority (Muslim) communities.

Congress, which has been reduced to a strength of 27 members, has seen some of its top MLAs and leaders defect to other parties over the past few months.

Asked whether Das would eventually join the saffron party, the chief minister said, “We are not thinking about the political part now.”

“There are two templates…either an Opposition MLA switches over to the ruling party, or decides to support the government,” Sarma said.

He further refused allegations of the ruling party “pulling Opposition MLAs to its camp”, saying, “We cannot pull an MLA, who is a representative of two to three lakh people, to our party……Das was with NSUI before becoming a Congress member and an MLA later…so we cannot abruptly ask him to be with the government.”

Responding to reporters, Das said he was still a Congressman but would support the BJP-led state government for the sake of socio-economic development in his constituency.

He however did not give a clear reply when asked what step he would take if his Congress decides to suspend him from the party after this show of support for the BJP-led government.

Assam BJP president Bhabesh Kalita, speaking to reporters, said that Das has been communicating with the ruling party members for some time in this regard.

“He has told us that he was impressed by the work done by the incumbent government and hence decided to be with the government,” Kalita said.

IANS