In a major political shake-up just months before the Assam Assembly elections, three sitting Congress MLAs have joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), giving the ruling party a strong boost ahead of the 2026 polls.
The three legislators — Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha, Sashi Kanta Das and Basanta Das — formally joined the BJP at a public event in the presence of state BJP president Dilip Saikia and Union minister Pabitra Margherita.
The move is being seen as a serious setback for the Congress party in the state.
Who Are the MLAs Who Switched?
Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha represents the Karimganj North constituency. In the 2021 Assembly elections, he defeated a BJP candidate by a margin of 8,324 votes.
Sashi Kanta Das is the MLA from Raha. He won his seat in 2021 by defeating an Asom Gana Parishad candidate with a margin of over 13,000 votes.
Basanta Das represents Mangaldoi (SC) constituency. He secured victory in 2021 with a strong margin of more than 24,000 votes against his BJP rival.
Interestingly, all three leaders were considered close to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and had publicly supported several policies of the BJP government in recent years. In fact, Sashi Kanta Das had openly expressed support for the ruling party’s governance approach as early as 2021.
More Leaders Join the Saffron Party
Along with the three MLAs, former Congress joint secretary Parsha Bob Kalita and former Trinamool Congress general secretary Kangkan Nath also joined the BJP.
This political shift comes shortly after former Assam Congress president Bhupen Borah switched to the BJP earlier this month.
Congress Faces Major Setback
The Congress party in Assam has been facing continuous internal challenges. Recently, two other MLAs — Abdul Rashid Mondal and Sherman Ali Ahmed — left the party to join Raijor Dal. Both are three-time legislators and have strong regional influence.
With elections to the 126-member Assam Assembly expected in April next year, these defections are likely to impact the political equations in the state.
The BJP appears to be strengthening its base ahead of the polls, while Congress is struggling to maintain unity within its ranks.
As the election battle heats up, the coming months will be crucial in deciding whether these high-profile switches will change the political direction of Assam.
