April 17, 2022: Former Assam Congress president and Rajya Sabha member Ripun Bora resigned from the grand old party on Sunday and joined the Trinamool Congress.

In his letter of resignation, Bora, who has been associated with the Indian National Congress since 1976, pointed out infighting within the Congress party claiming that it paved way for Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to grow and also "demoralize" Congress workers.

Instead of fighting against BJP, Bora said that he is "pained" to inform that a section of senior post leaders of Assam Congress have been maintaining a "secret understanding with BJP government mainly with the Chief Minister."

He alleged that the party's interest and ideology are being compromised in favour of the BJP for some vested interests of a few leaders.

"During the past couple of years the way BJP, the symbol of communal and decisive forces is growing across the country and it is a serious threat to the democracy, constitution and secularism and economy of our country. But instead of fighting and unitedly and aggressively to prevent BJP at this critical juncture of the country," the letter reads.

It further states: "The leaders of this grand old Congress party at different levels are fighting each other for their vested interest. This has given BJP ample advantages to grow in every nook and corner in one hand and another, demoralizing millions of Congress workers of the country."

Bora said that the Congress unit in Assam was "not an exception" to this.

Recalling the 2021 Assam Assembly elections, Bora said that Congress faced defeat due to infighting within the party's state unit leading to people losing faith in Congress.

Bora was given the charge of state Congress president after the party was defeated in a "devastating" manner.

"Since then I have been devoting tremendous handwork to revive the party and have been able to build Congress to challenge the BJP in all elections right from panchayat, urban local bodies, number of Assembly bye-elections and in Lok Sabha election of 2019," he said.

"Even in 2021 Assam Assembly Election, we Congress emerged in such a way, people started to believe and expect of Congress forming government in 2021. But due to continuous inner fight by a section of senior most leaders of Assam PCC, people lost faith in us and did not give a mandate to us to form the government," he added.

Bora, in his resignation letter, expressed gratitude to the party for renominating him for the second term as the party candidate for the recently held Rajya Sabha elections but also claimed that some party leaders paved way for BJP to win both the Rajya Sabha seats and termed it as "unfortunate."

"In coming days, I shall continue my fight more vigorously against BJP, to protect the democracy, secularism, and Constitution of our country," he concluded. (ANI)