GUWAHATI: Prominent Karbi leaders Jagatsing Engti, Pradip Diphusa and Charishma Rongpipi accompanied by 680 leaders and workers of Assam BJP joined the Congress party in a mass joining programme at Diphu Club in Diphu on Sunday.
Of the new entrants, Kangther Bey is a singer and a prominent leader of the Autonomous Movement in 1986-91.
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A prominent leader of the Autonomous State movement, Jagatsing Engti was a three-time MLA from the Bokajan constituency in 1996-2001, 2001-2006 and 2006-2011.
In 2012, Engti was elected as MAC from the Surupathar MAC constituency to the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC). In 2016, he joined the BJP and was elected as MAC from Surupathar seat and was in charge of EM for higher education till 2022. In the 2022 election, he was denied a ticket.
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Pradip Diphusa was a two-time MAC from the Dhansiri MAC constituency and EM during 2012-2017 under the Congress regime. He joined the BJP on June 23, 2016, just after assembly elections and was elected from the constituency on BJP ticket in the 2017 MAC polls. He was also denied a party ticket in the 2022 council elections.
Charishma Rongpipi is the daughter of former EM Prodip Rongpi. She is a young entrepreneur and owner of Yellow Tree Cafe, Diphu.
The programme was attended by Karbi Anglong District Congress Committee (KADCC) president and former minister Sum Ronghang, senior Congress leader and former MP Birensingh Ingti; former MLA Joyram Engleng; former EMs Ratan Engti and Ashok Teron.
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Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Bhupen Kumar Bora said: “Today more than 600 leaders of BJP under the leadership of Jagatsing Engti, Pradip Diphusa and Kathar Bey joined the Congress. We are happy that the people here are waiting for the victory of Team India in the 2024 polls.”
“On or before December 4, more leaders will join Congress in Karbi Anglong. Some senior leaders are likely to join our party,” Borah said.
“Jones Ingti Kathar led APHLC is an alliance partner of the 15-party United Opposition Forum. They are seeking some seats from Karbi Anglong. We will have more discussion on it,” Bora added.
“We have been in the BJP for the last seven years. We saw inside the BJP party and the government. We know how they are running the government. They betrayed the people of Karbi Anglong in the last seven years. They have done nothing for us,” former MLA and EM Jagatsing Engti said.
“They failed to fulfil their words what they promised in the 2014 elections. The issue of Autonomous State is a forgotten subject. We joined the BJP after leaders like LK Advani and Rajnath Singh promised to resolve the Autonomous State issue during their campaign in the 2014 polls. But Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister Himanata Biswa Sarma and CEM Tuliram Rponghang are not willing to resolve our issues,” Engti said.
“They did not implement the MoS signed with UPDS, but signed another agreement with six extremist groups in 2021. This agreement is also far from implementation,” Engti also said.
“In the council also CEM’s family members are getting benefits. The KADC was set up by Congress, and KAAC was also given by the Congress. Article 244(a) was included in the Constitution by the Congress during the regime of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. What the BJP has done for Karbi Anglong, nothing” Engti added.
“It’s my homecoming. I was in the Congress and had joined the BJP believing their false promises in 2016. Modi came to the power targeting corruption of the previous Congress government. But the BJP exceeds all limits,” former EM Diphusa said.
“We have seen the style of functioning of BJP government. The people now lost faith in the BJP due to their corruption. People started saying such things did not happen during Congress. They want Congress to come back to power,” Diphusa added.