Nine Congress legislators in Assam join BJP

Two months after meeting BJP president Amit Shah, nine Congress legislators from Assam on Friday joined the BJP amid sings that more Congress leaders would follow before the 2016 assembly polls.

BJP leader Ram Madhav, who looks after the party's Assam affairs, welcomed the legislators including Jayanta Malla Baruah, Piyush Hazarika, Rajen Borthakur, Pallab Lochan Das, Abu Taher Bepari, Binanda Saikia, Bolin Chetia, Pradan Baruah and Kripa Nath Malla.

Known to be loyalists of former Assam health and education minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, the nine leaders met Shah in New Delhi on September 5 along with Sarma.

"Assam's political situation is changing very fast. The BJP is attracting peoples' attraction very fast and people are dissatisfied with the Congress," Ram Madhav said while welcoming the nine into the party fold.

He said whoever has development at heart will join the BJP.

"The Assam chief minister knows that he is going to lose. So he is asking everyone to come on board. He (Gogoi) is sitting on the lap of All India United Democratic Front and he is calling us communal. Gogoi is ready to give Assam to Bangladeshis," said the BJP leader.

In Nagaon district, Sarma said about 80 percent of the Congress leaders in Assam will join the BJP in Assam by December-January.

"I think by December-January, 80 percent of the Congressmen will join the BJP. People want a change and so members from the Congress, the AGP, the Left and from all other parties will join the BJP," Sarma said.