Former TMC Assam unit president Ripun Bora returns to Congress

Guwahati: Ripun Bora, former president of Trinamool Congress' Assam unit, who resigned on September 1, on Sunday returned to the Opposition Congress.

This gave Congress a boost as it prepares for Assembly elections in Assam in 2026.

Bora, who served as president of Assam Pradesh Congress Committee, quit Congress and joined TMC in April 2022, soon after he was denied a Rajya Sabha berth.

"I am happy to come back to my old home Congress. In Assam, no party without Congress can defeat BJP. I joined TMC with an aim to defeat BJP but later I realised that Trinamool Congress can not alone defeat BJP in Assam, so I decided to quit," Bora told reporters soon after joining Congress.

Bora quit TMC on September 1 stating that Mamata Banerjee-led party was not acceptable in the state. Bora said he took this decision because the party did not act on his suggestions on steps to be taken to change its public perception in the state as a regional party from Bengal.

Bora, who was earlier elected as Rajya Sabha member from Congress, said that he suggested the party to have a local leader at the national level, declaring residence of Bharat Ratna Bhupen Hazarika at Tollygunge in Kolkata as a heritage site, beside others but the party did not act on his suggestions.

"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 Trinamool national general secretary, Abhishek Banerjee.

Sources in TMC, however, said that the party was unhappy with Bora as it got 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 since he joined," said the source.

TMC leader and Rajya Sabha member Susmita Dev met the party leaders in Guwahati after Bora's resignation and said the party would soon appoint president of its Assam unit. Dev also quit Congress and joined TMC and was made a Rajya Sabha member from Bengal.