Guwahati: Assam Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Debabrata Saikia on Tuesday said that his mother has advised him to remain in Congress always.
“My mother, Hemoprova Saikia, called me and said that I must remain in the Congress even if I am the lone man standing in the state. I cannot disobey my mother’s advice. I guarantee you that I will not leave Congress,” Saikia told Congress.
After two Congress MLAs “supported” the BJP government in the state, rumours are rife that more Congress MLAs may also soon join the ruling dispensation.
Debabrata Saikia’s mother Hemoprova Saikia was the minister of handloom and textiles in the Assam government from 2001 to 2006. She was an MLA representing Nazira constituency from 1996 to 2006. Later, Debabrata Saikia fought polls from Nazira seat.
Saikia’s late father, Hiteswar Saikia, was a Congress stalwart and served twice as the Chief Minister of Assam in the 1980s and 1990s.
Recently, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had sarcastically said, “There is no guarantee who will remain in Congress in Assam. Debabrata Saikia, Bhupen Borah may also leave and come to our side.”
Former Congress MLA Bhupen Borah also said, “I can take an oath by going to Kamakhya temple that I will never leave Congress till I am alive.”
Notably, two Congress MLAs, Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha and Basanta Das, met the Chief Minister during the ongoing budget session of the Assam assembly last week and tendered their support for the ruling party.
Purkayastha, a three-time MLA, resigned from his post as working president of the opposition just before he went to meet Himanta Biswa Sarma. The other legislator, Basanta Das, was a minister in the Tarun Gogoi-led Congress government in Assam.
However, both legislators have announced that they are not resigning from the Congress and will continue to support the BJP government in the state despite being primary members of the opposition party.
The legislators chose the way of supporting the BJP to avoid bi-elections in their constituencies.
Congress has slapped show-cause notices to both the MLAs.
–IANS