Assam: Deserters rejoin BJP in East Karbi Anglong

DIPHU:

The East Karbi Anglong District Committee of the Bharatiya Janata Party (EKADC-BJP) welcomed back a few of its former members in a formal ceremony at its office in Diphu, Assam, on Saturday.

The Chief Executive Member (CEM) of the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC), Tuliram Ronghang, alongside MP Horensing Bey and EKADC-BJP president Dhansing Teron, welcomed the members back to the party.

The returnees, who had earlier deserted the party, included former deputy chairman and KAAC Executive Member (EM) Suryo Rongphar, along with a former member of the West Karbi Anglong District Committee-BJP (WKADC-BJP) Dhon Dera, WKADC-BJP vice president Dhon Rongpi and former KAAC EM Bhupen Hasnu among others.

Rongphar was the deputy chairman and Executive Member of the KAAC during the previous Congress-ruled KAAC and joined the BJP on June 23, 2016.

However, in the 2017 KAAC elections, Rongphar was denied a party ticket from the Deopani MAC constituency.

In retaliation, Rongphar formed the Karbi Anglong Democratic Forum (KADF) alongside several others who were denied party tickets and contested as an Independent candidate under the banner.

In 2018, he returned to Congress and was made chairman of the RTI Cell.

Before returning to BJP, Rongphar was the president of the Deopani Mandal Congress Committee.

Dera and Rongpi were also denied party tickets in the 2017 KAAC elections. Following this turn of events, Dera left the BJP and joined the AGP.

In 2018, Dera filed a case against Kopili MAC Pawan Kumar Rai for being a non-tribal MAC.

Dera agreed to withdraw the case against Rai following his return to the BJP.

“The Karbi Anglong District Congress Committee president, Khorsing Ingti, said I have criminal records, and I was denied ticket for Bokajan LAC,” Rongphar said.

“As our former UPDS (United People’s Democratic Solidarity) leaders like MP Horensing Bey and Kangjang Terang are in BJP and with this confidence, I have returned to BJP,” he added.

Meanwhile, CEM Tuliram Ronghang appealed to all stakeholders to work together for the interest of the party and “fight unitedly to win the election.”

(Edited by Gabriel G Momin)

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