Former TMC leader Ripun Bora.
Credit: PTI Photo
Guwahati: Ripun Bora, the president of Trinamool Congress' Assam unit, resigned on Sunday stating that the Mamata Banerjee-led party lacks acceptability in the state.
Bora, who switched from Congress to TMC in April 2022, said that he took the decision as the party did not act on the suggestions given by him on steps to be taken to change its public perception in the state. "I worked very hard and set up district level units of TMC, but during my interactions with the people, we realised that TMC is still seen as a regional party of West Bengal and people do not accept it here. So I made the suggestions," Bora told reporters on Sunday.
Bora, who was earlier elected as Rajya Sabha member from Congress, said that although he gave various suggestions to the party like having a local leader at the national level, declaring the residence of Bharat Ratna Bhupen Hazarika at Tollygunge in Kolkata as a heritage site among others, the party did not any heed. "Despite my repeated attempts over the past year and a half to secure an appointment with you and our chief Mamata didi to address these concerns, I have been unsuccessful," Bora said in his letter to TMC national general secretary, Abhishek Banerjee.
Party unhappy
Sources in TMC, however, said that the party was unhappy with Bora as they could garner only 80,000 votes in four Lok Sabha seats it contested in Assam this time. "His resignation was on expected lines. He wanted a Rajya Sabha seat but the party directly refused given his performance after his appointment," said the source adding that the party's Rajya Sabha member Susmita Dev would soon meet the TMC workers in Guwahati.
Likely to return to Congress
Sources within the Congress said Bora is likely to return as the AICC is trying to strengthen the party with a target to defeat the BJP in the Assembly elections in Assam in 2026. Bora said he was yet to make a decision. He, however, said that he was not against returning to Congress. "That decision has to be taken at the top level," he told reporters. Bora quit Congress after he was denied a Rajya Sabha ticket and joined the TMC.
Sushmita Dev had also quit Congress in a similar way but she was given a Rajya Sabha ticket by TMC from Bengal.