Assam Congress ex-chief Ripun Bora joins Trinamool

New Delhi, April 17

Former Assam Congress president Ripun Bora today joined the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in the presence of party’s general secretary Abhishek Banerjee.

“Delighted to welcome Shri@ripunbora, Former Minister of Panchayat & Rural Development, Minister of Education in Assam, former Rajya Sabha MP & former President of Assam Pradesh Congress committee! He joined us today in the presence of Shri @abhishekaitc,” the Trinamool Congress said on Twitter.

Bora, who was Opposition parties’ joint candidate for the lone Rajya Sabha seat they were contesting in Assam, lost the elections as 12 Opposition MLAs, including seven from the Congress, cross-voted for the BJP nominee.

Bora wrote to Congress president Sonia Gandhi that he was quitting the party because its ideology was being compromised in favour of the BJP for the vested interest of certain leaders.

“Instead of fighting against the BJP, a section of senior leaders of the Assam Congress have been maintaining a secret understanding with the BJP government, mainly with the Chief Minister,” he wrote.

Bora is the second high-profile Congress leader from Assam to switch loyalty to the TMC.