Congress has suffered a major setback before the Assam Assembly elections. Pradyut Bordoloi, two-time Congress MP from Naugaon seat and Assam Pradesh Congress Committee vice-president Navjyoti Talukdar resigned from the party on Tuesday (17 March 2026). His resignation comes at an important time when political parties in Assam are gearing up for the upcoming assembly elections. In a letter to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Navjyoti Talukdar raised questions on the functioning of the party. According to sources, Bordoloi may join Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the coming days.
Played a big role in strengthening the party in Assam
Bordoloi, a prominent face of the Congress in Assam for decades, started his political career in 1998 when he was elected MLA from Margherita Assembly. He represented this seat for four consecutive terms and was an MLA from 1998 to 2016. During his long political career in Congress, he also held important ministerial posts in the Government of Assam between 2001 and 2015. He was counted among the prominent leaders of the party in Assam and played an important role in strengthening the organization in the state.
Pradyut Bordoloi may join BJP
Pradyut Bordoloi won from Naugaon Lok Sabha in 2019, which further increased his political stature. Given Bordoloi’s influence among grassroots workers and voters, his resignation is being considered a big blow to the Congress. Although there has been no official confirmation from Bordoloi about his next political move, there are indications that he may join BJP.
Pradyut Bordoloi has been a loyal leader of Congress for a long time. He has also been the former president of Assam Pradesh Congress Committee and played an important role in the party’s campaign in the 2016 assembly elections. However, dissatisfaction among many party leaders had increased due to Congress’s continuous defeat in Assam in the last few years and its being reduced to just 29 seats in the 2021 assembly elections. Bordoloi had also expressed disagreement over the party’s strategy, organizational structure and decisions of the central leadership.
Big blow to Congress in Assam
Political analysts believe that if Bordoloi formally joins BJP, it could have a significant impact on the electoral equations in Nagaon and surrounding areas. On the other hand, Congress may face challenges in maintaining its support in this constituency without one of its senior leaders.
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Input By : Ruturaj Phukan
