Congress shrugs off Rejaul Sarkar’s exit, says it won’t dent poll prospects

Guwahati, Jan 14: Seeking to close ranks after Rejaul Karim Sarkar’s exit, the Congress leadership, on Wednesday, said it was unhappy with his Dhubri–Sivasagar remarks and maintained that his resignation would have no bearing on the party’s prospects in the forthcoming Assam Assembly elections.

Addressing the press, Election Manifesto Committee chairman and Nagaon MP Pradyut Bordoloi said he had conveyed his position clearly to the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president, stressing the need for restraint and responsibility in public discourse.

“I had told our party president that people who shoulder responsibility, or are bestowed with it, must make responsible statements. Whether from our party or others, no one should make divisive remarks. There are sensitive issues that must be addressed with care and responsibility. That is what I conveyed. If he quit because of his remarks, it is unfortunate,” Bordoloi said.

Asked about Sarkar’s resignation letter to APCC president Gaurav Gogoi, which reportedly named him, Bordoloi said he could not rule out a political motive behind the move.

“I don’t know whether he is playing politics with this decision. I am not sure,” he remarked.

Reiterating the party’s stance, Bordoloi said individuals in positions of responsibility must weigh their words carefully, especially while speaking on sensitive social issues, and avoid statements that could divide society.

He also firmly rejected suggestions that Sarkar’s resignation would dent the Congress’s electoral prospects. “This will not affect the party in the Assembly polls,” he said.

Responding to Sarkar’s assertion that “Congress is not bigger than the community”, Bordoloi said the party had never made such a claim.

He added that Sarkar appeared unfamiliar with Assam’s political history and the Congress’s contributions to the state, referring to the legacy of Assam’s first Chief Minister, Bharat Ratna Gopinath Bordoloi.

Meanwhile, the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) said Sarkar’s resignation was on expected lines, given the criticism he faced from senior Congress leaders. AIUDF general secretary Rafiqul Islam described the move as justified.

“If someone cannot raise the issues faced by the minority community in the state or work towards addressing them, how can a minority student leader survive in such a party?” Islam said, referring to Sarkar’s past role as chief of the All Assam Minority Students’ Union.

Islam claimed the episode had exposed what he described as a “communal mindset” among certain Congress leaders.

“From the outside, the Congress is secular, which we also acknowledge. But inside, some leaders may be close to the RSS and speak in line with its ideology,” he alleged.

Sarkar’s resignation and the sharp political reactions it has triggered have added a fresh layer of complexity to Assam’s already charged political landscape, as parties position themselves ahead of the Assembly elections.