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Guwahati: Former Union minister and four-time MP from Nagaon Rajen Gohain on Wednesday formally joined the Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP), marking a significant political shift in Assam’s emerging landscape.
The veteran politician, once considered a key stalwart of the BJP in the state, resigned from the party on October 9, citing “growing dissatisfaction” with the leadership and direction.
Gohain joined AJP along with a group of his supporters at a function held at the PWD auditorium in Guwahati.
Many senior AJP leaders including party president Lurinjyoti Gogoi, working president Chitta Basumatary and senior leader Jagdish Bhuiyan attended the event.
After being welcomed into the regional party, Gohain said he would continue to serve the people with honesty and dedication.
“Wherever I am, I have always tried to perform my duties with honesty and commitment. I will continue to do so here too,” he said.
Expressing his dissatisfaction over the current functioning of the BJP, Gohain said that the party has “moved far away from the ideals of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and veteran leader LK Advani”.
Gohain commented, “I have been patient for a long time, but the current situation is extremely disappointing. We did not join this party to see personality-based politics. Now it has played into the hands of people who have little connection with the party’s founding values.”
The former minister of state for railways, who served during the first term of the Narendra Modi government, had earlier submitted his resignation at the BJP’s state headquarters, Atal Bihari Vajpayee Bhawan in Guwahati.
Following his resignation, there was widespread speculation about his next political move, with several parties reportedly approaching him.
His decision to forge an alliance with the AJP underlines his belief that only a strong regional force can truly protect the interests of Assam.
With Gohain’s entry, the AJP, formed in the wake of the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act movement, appears to have gained an experienced political figure, whose experience in governance and public relations could strengthen its prospects ahead of the next electoral battle in the state.
–IANS