Guwahati, 19 March (HS): In a setback to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the Assam Assembly elections, Dholai MLA Nihar Ranjan Das on Thursday resigned from the party’s primary membership after being denied a ticket, while levelling serious allegations of favouritism within the organisation.

In his resignation letter addressed to Assam Pradesh BJP president, Das said he had served the party with “honesty and sincerity” and worked diligently to strengthen its base in the Dholai Legislative Assembly Constituency. However, he expressed dissatisfaction over what he termed as a lack of recognition for his contributions, stating that he had been overlooked in the ticket allocation process for the upcoming elections.

Requesting acceptance of his resignation, Das also sought to be relieved from all responsibilities within the party.

Taking a sharper tone, the legislator alleged internal bias in candidate selection. In a controversial remark, he claimed that his exclusion was linked to favouritism, stating that he could not “offer rasgullas” to senior BJP leader Parimal Suklabaidya, implying that political support was extended to those who maintained such gestures.

The remarks have sparked discussions in Assam’s political circles, with opposition parties expected to raise questions over transparency in the BJP’s ticket distribution process.

Despite stepping down from the party, Das indicated that he will remain active in politics and contest the forthcoming elections. He, however, did not clarify whether he would join another party or contest as an independent candidate.-----------

Hindusthan Samachar / Sriprakash