Guwahati, March 5 (IANS) Three suspended Congress MLAs joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Assam on Thursday, adding a fresh dimension to political developments in the state ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections.

The three legislators — Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha, Basant Das and Sashikanta Das — were formally inducted into the BJP at the party’s state headquarters, ‘Atal Bihari Vajpayee Bhawan’ in Guwahati, in the presence of state president Dilip Saikia and other senior leaders.

Speaking after joining the BJP, Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha said the decision was taken keeping in mind the larger interests of Assam and the country.

He said the three legislators were keen to work in line with the BJP’s policies and contribute to the development and security of the state as well as the nation.

Purkayastha also took a swipe at Congress, alleging that the party’s politics of appeasement had weakened its organisational strength.

He warned that unless the party revisits its ideological approach, it risks becoming “hollow” in the future.

Basant Das said his decision to join the BJP was influenced by the development initiatives undertaken under the leadership of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

He said visible development had taken place in his constituency during the current government’s tenure and expressed hope to continue working for the progress of Assam under CM Sarma’s leadership.

Sashikanta Das said he was impressed by what he described as CM Sarma’s efforts to bring people of the state together.

He also remarked that the Congress party today was no longer the same organisation that was formed during the time of Mahatma Gandhi to fight colonial rule.

Das further claimed that the BJP would once again return to power in the state and alleged that the Congress party could struggle even to emerge as the principal opposition in the next Assembly elections.

The development comes amid increasing political activity in Assam as parties prepare for the Assembly polls, with both the BJP and Congress intensifying their organisational and electoral strategies.

–IANS

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