New Delhi: Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra demonstrated resilience amid political turbulence by downplaying the departure of former Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Bhupen Kumar Borah.
She asserted that such shifts are commonplace before elections and that the party remains prepared for the upcoming Assam Assembly polls.
Addressing reporters after a crucial meeting with APCC leaders here, Priyanka l described party-hopping as a routine affair in Indian politics. “Before elections, people go from here to there and from there to here. “This happens in every state,” she remarked, responding to queries on Borah’s imminent switch to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). She emphasised the collective strength of the Congress, stating, “We have many strong warriors,” and expressed confidence that leaders and workers would unite to secure victory.
Borah, a two-time legislator who led the state unit from 2021 to 2025, resigned last week, citing “self-respect” issues, exposing internal rifts within the party. His exit has raised questions about Congress’s preparedness against the ruling BJP, but Priyanka’s high-profile visit — greeted by enthusiastic crowds at the airport — aimed to energise cadres and calm nerves.
Urging workers to highlight public grievances like unemployment and corruption in a recently-released ‘chargesheet’ against the BJP government, Priyanka called the elections a “fight for Assam’s future”. Party insiders believe her intervention could help forge alliances, including with the United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL), to challenge the dominance of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
As Assam gears up for polls later this year, Congress hopes to capitalise on anti-incumbency, turning Borah’s defection into a rallying cry for loyalty.