Bhupen Borah to continue as Assam Congress chief

GUWAHATI: Amid signs of growing dissidence in the state Congress, AICC general secretary in charge of Assam, Jitendra Singh, on Tuesday announced that Bhupen Borah would continue to be Assam Congress president.
After state PCC president Ripun Bora joined the TMC last month and 10 MLAs met at the residence of deputy CLP leader Rakibul Hussain when the Udaipur Chintan Shivir was under way, the Congress is worried about another jolt.
“Bhupen Borah is the president of the Assam Pradesh Congress and he will continue to serve in the same position in the future. This is the decision of the AICC,” said Singh.
While Ripun Bora has accused Bhupen Borah of taking a weak stand against the BJP, a section of Congress legislators gathered at Rakibul’s residence and indirectly blamed the state PCC president for not taking MLAs into confidence while selecting district presidents. The Congress in Assam recently appointed presidents in eight districts and some of the MLAs said their opinion was not taken into consideration.
Working president of state PCC Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha and senior leader Bharat Narah are among the legislators who held the closed-door meeting.
Singh said selecting leaders at various levels should be solely based on capabilities. “Whether it’s the PCC president, general secretary in-charge, district, block or mandal Congress heads, they should be the most hard working and capable leaders. It should not be based on personal choice,” he added.
Singh said in the Congress legislature party meeting on Tuesday, he will ask the MLAs to restrain from giving comments on party affairs in public, before the same is discussed in the party forum. “If any MLA has grievances, they should talk to me. Giving public statements immediately is not good. It should be resolved within the family,” he added.
On the alleged disagreement among the Congress leaders, he said it's a ‘family matter’.
Borah, on the other hand, said he is experienced enough and knows whose opinion should be taken while choosing the district Congress president.