GUWAHATI: Cabinet Minister Sum Ronghang whose name was one among the 11 members excluded from the Bhartiya Janata Party BJP in the recently announced list of party candidates to contest for the assembly elections has switched to the Congress party.
Reportedly, the Assam Hills Area Development Minister, Sum Ronghang, has quit the BJP party and joined Congress on Sunday
With elections, just a few weeks ahead, the declaration of party candidates has created a gap within the party members. On March 5, the BJP announced the list of 70 candidates who would be contesting the upcoming elections.
However, the list has excluded the names of 11 sitting ruling BJP MLAs and a Cabinet Minister (Ronghang). Going by the list, present Cabinet Minister Sum Ronhang will not get the tickets from the respective party. Along with Ronghang the other BJP candidates who have been denied tickets were Nabanita Handique, Debananda Hazarika, Rituparna Barua, Dilip Paul, Bir Bhadra Hagjer, Kishor Nath, Amar Chandra Jain, Joy Ram Engleng, Mansing Rongpi, Ashok Sarma.
The saffron party further inducted 11 fresh candidates into the list. From Diphu, Sum Ronghang was replaced by Bidya Sing Engleng.
Some of the newly inducted candidates that replaced the sitting MLA's are- In Sonari, sitting MLA Nabanita Handique was replaced by Dharmeswar Konwar, in Bihpuria, MLA Debananda Hazarika was replaced by Amiyo Kumar Bhuyan in Bihpuria, MLA Rituparna Barua was replaced by Binod Hazarika in Lahowal. Former Deputy Speaker Dilip Kumar Paul was not nominated this time from Silchar and Dipayan Chakraborty replaced him. Jayanta Malla Baruah replaced sitting MLA Ashok Sharma in Nalbari.
It needs to be mentioned here that the BJP party also nominated former Congress minister Ajanta Neog, who had joined the BJP in January, from Golaghat. Whereas, former Chief Minister and founder president of AGP — Prafulla Kumar Mahanta was denied a ticket from the prestigious Barhampur seat and contested BJP's Jitu Goswami.
Meanwhile, Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Ripun Bora welcoming the BJP minister claimed that Ronghang would strengthen Congress in Karbi Anglong district.
"We welcome Sum Ronghang to our party. He has taken a right decision. Earlier also he was with the Congress," said Bora.
Ronghang is hopeful that he would win from Diphu if he gets a Congress ticket.