Guwahati, 04 March (HS): In a significant setback to the Congress ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections, Parshva Bob Kalita, former Joint Secretary of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) and son of former Kamalpur MLA Uttara Kalita, has resigned from the party.

Along with him, Konkan Nath, Central General Secretary of the Trinamool Youth Congress, has also quit the Congress fold. Both leaders met Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday and are scheduled to formally join the Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday.

The development comes amid criticism over the Congress party’s first list of 42 candidates for the Assembly polls. Political observers have pointed out that 19 of the 42 nominees are leaders who had previously lost elections.

Several candidates who faced repeated defeats have reportedly been allotted tickets in key constituencies. Names such as Mira Borthakur, Ripun Bora and Pranati Phukan feature among those described by party critics as “defeated soldiers,” raising questions within political circles over the party’s candidate selection strategy.----------

Hindusthan Samachar / Sriprakash