Assam Congress chief Bhupen Borah has retaliated against Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's recent claim suggesting his imminent defection to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), announcing his intention to file a defamation suit against Sarma.
Addressing media personnel in Jorhat, Borah vehemently criticized Sarma for allegedly attempting to deflect attention from substantive issues through such statements.
Asserting his commitment to legal recourse, Borah stated, "To uphold my integrity in the eyes of the media, I intend to initiate defamation proceedings against Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma tomorrow."
Borah condemned Sarma's purported tactic of making "baseless" assertions, accusing him of resorting to diversionary tactics instead of addressing pertinent concerns.
Dismissing any prospect of joining the BJP, Borah affirmed, "I see no reason to align with the BJP. They have failed to address the grievances of Assam's six communities or fulfill pre-election promises."
Highlighting Sarma's alleged failure to deliver on pledges, Borah accused the Chief Minister of resorting to unfounded and irrelevant statements to deflect public and media attention.
Earlier, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had asserted that Bhupen Borah would defect to the BJP in 2025, responding to inquiries about potential political opponents in the upcoming 2026 Assembly elections.
Sarma confidently predicted Borah's BJP membership by 2026, suggesting the gradual erosion of Congress influence in both Hindu-majority and Muslim-majority areas by 2032.
Furthermore, Sarma hinted at the possible inclusion of MLA Bharat Narah, who recently resigned from the Congress, into the BJP ranks.
However, he noted a lack of communication with Narah and his wife Ranee Narah regarding their potential defection.