Tensions Rise in Assam Congress as MP Pradyut Bordoloi Threatens Exit

Tensions are escalating within the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee as Nagaon MP Pradyut Bordoloi threatens to leave the party. His warning comes in light of concerns over the nomination of MLA Dr. Asif Nazar for the Lahorighat Assembly seat, which Bordoloi opposes due to alleged criminal associations. He has raised serious allegations regarding an attack on him and the party's handling of the situation. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has commented on the unfolding drama, predicting Bordoloi's exit from the party. This situation highlights the growing rifts within the Congress party in Assam, raising questions about its future stability.

By Narendra Chaudhary Mar 16, 2026, 11:58 IST

Internal Strife in Assam Congress

Guwahati, Mar 16: Amid escalating discord within the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC), Nagaon MP Pradyut Bordoloi has issued a warning regarding his potential departure from the party if the Lahorighat Assembly seat is assigned to MLA Dr. Asif Nazar.

Bordoloi has formally communicated his concerns to Jitendra Singh, the General Secretary of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) overseeing Assam, and has traveled to New Delhi to engage with party leaders on this matter.

In his correspondence, Bordoloi referenced a serious incident from April of the previous year.

“On April 27, 2025, I was subjected to a life-threatening attack in the Dumdumia region. The Nagaon Police initiated a suo motu inquiry, apprehending a notorious criminal from Lahorighat, Emdadul Islam, and subsequently filed charges against him. He is known to have close ties with Lahorighat MLA Dr. Asif Nazar,” the letter detailed.

Bordoloi further claimed that Dr. Nazar celebrated Emdadul Islam's release from incarceration.

“Dr. Asif Nazar not only welcomed the same criminal to the APCC president's residence but also organized a formal recognition for chargesheeted Emdadul Islam by Shri Gaurav Gogoi on January 11, 2026,” the letter alleged.

Bordoloi expressed his disapproval of this action and urged Gogoi to refrain from endorsing Dr. Nazar's purported connection with the accused.

The Nagaon MP asserted that he had presented evidence regarding Emdadul's alleged criminal affiliations to Priyanka Gandhi, the chairperson of the party’s screening committee, opposing Dr. Nazar's renomination as the Congress candidate for Lahorighat in the forthcoming elections.

Additionally, Bordoloi claimed that during a Congress Central Election Committee meeting in New Delhi on March 13, screening committee member and Uttar Pradesh MP Imran Masood publicly dismissed the allegations against Dr. Nazar as false and fabricated.

“Although I was not present at that meeting, such comments made about me in front of the party’s top leadership were deeply humiliating. In that context, APCC president Shri Gaurav Gogoi remained entirely silent and did not convey the information I had previously shared with him,” Bordoloi wrote.

He indicated that he would once again present evidence to the Congress high command to ensure appropriate measures are taken.

“Despite the negative attitudes from the state leadership, I will persist in my efforts to uphold my dignity and honor,” the letter concluded.

In response, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma remarked that this situation aligns with his earlier prediction regarding Bordoloi's future in the Congress party.

“I had anticipated this outcome. I knew he would struggle to remain in the party, especially since those who allegedly attempted to harm him were welcomed by the APCC chief. Having worked with him for fifteen years, I understand his self-respect. While many overlook their self-respect to stay in the party, eventually, they will find it impossible to continue. I predict Pradyut Bordoloi will exit the party by 2029,” Sarma stated during a press briefing in Guwahati.