Guwahati: The lone Hindu MLA of Badruddin Ajmal led AIUDF joins the ruling BJP in Assam, making AIUDF an all Muslim MLA party in the state. Phani Talukdar, AIUDF MLA from Bhabanipur constituency, resigned from the party and assembly on Wednesday (September 1) and joined the ruling party. Phani Talukdar met chief minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma this morning and announced his joining the saffron party. He is the third opposition MLA to join the BJP after Rupjyoti Kurmi and Sushanta Borgohain of Congress.
Chief Minister Dr. Sarma welcomed Phani Talukdar to the party and said that Bhabanipur is the home of the first martyr of Assam agitation Khargeswar Talukdar. But it is painful to see AIUDF winning from the constituency consecutively in elections. Phani Talukdar's join in the ruling party will strengthen the BJP, and I am sure that Talukdar will re-win the election from Bhabanipur as a BJP candidate. In the 2021 assembly election, AIUDF candidate Phani Talukdar won by 3227 votes defeating AGP candidate Ranjit Deka. The Chief Minister said he spoke to AGP leadership, and they assured of all possible help in the by-poll in the constituency.
Phani Talukdar said he decided to join the BJP for development in his constituency. Earlier, taking to Twitter about Phani Talukdar joining in BJP CM, Dr. Sarma said, "The faith of leaders across the political spectrum in Honorable PM Sri @narendramodi continues to grow. Happy to have met Honorable MLA of Bhabanipur Sri Phanidhar Talukdar, who resigned from @AIUDFOfficial & will join @BJP4Assam later today. I welcome him to our Pariwaar."
Phani Talukdar will formally join the BJP at 1 pm at the party's state headquarters in the presence of the state president Bhabesh Kalita. The state president earlier said many opposition MLAs are in touch with the BJP. After the resignation of Phani Talukdar, five constituencies of Assam will go to a by-election. Out of these 5, two MLAs of BTR died in Covid; 3 have resigned and joined the BJP.
