Former BJP Assam prez, ex-Union minister Rajen Gohain joins AJP

Guwahati, Nov 5 (PTI) Former Union minister and four-time BJP MP Rajen Gohain on Wednesday joined regional political outfit Assam Jaitya Parishad (AJP).

Gohain, also a former state BJP president who had resigned from the party on October 9, switched over to the regional party at a programme here in the presence of AJP president Lurinjyoti Gohain and general secretary Jagadish Bhuyan, among others.

Addressing the party members, Gohain stressed on "inclusive regionalism" for the AJP to emerge as a successful political force.

He maintained that "ultra-hyper regionalism" will not serve its purpose, and the party must approach with a broader and inclusive outlook.

AJP was formed in 2020, in the aftermath of the anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act movement in the state, with the party vowing to take forward the regionalist aspirations of the people and safeguard the interests of the indigenous population.

Later, talking to reporters, the former Union minister expressed his lack of trust in national parties.

"I have a distrust for national parties, but due to the current situation, we will have to go for a tie-up with the Congress. There are some good people in the Congress, like Rahul Gandhi," he maintained.

Gohain also took a covert hit at Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, and referring to his influential position in the Tarun Gogoi-led Congress governments here, he said, "Tarun Gogoi was an able Congressman. But the ones who spoiled the image of his government are the ones with the power in BJP today." Gohain, 74, had represented the Nagaon parliamentary constituency for four terms from 1999 to 2019 and had served as the Union Minister of State for Railways from 2016 to 2019.

Gohain had said that he resigned from the BJP as the party had "failed to fulfil the promises made to the people of Assam and betrayed the indigenous communities by allowing outsiders to settle in the state".

He also charged the BJP's state leadership with "encouraging communal politics and dividing the centuries-old Assamese society".

Assembly elections in Assam are due next year. PTI SSG BDC SSG RG