Denied BJP ticket, Jayanta Das goes Independent in Dispur; alleges threats

Guwahati: Former senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Jayanta Das on Monday filed his nomination as an Independent candidate from the Dispur Assembly constituency, days after resigning from the party following a 35-year association.

Das, who was denied a party ticket, alleged that he faced pressure, threats and a sustained misinformation campaign in the run-up to filing his nomination. He attributed these developments to what he described as a convergence of interests between sections of the BJP and former Congress leaders now in the party.

He said the circumstances surrounding his nomination compelled him to maintain a low profile, citing apprehensions about possible attempts to obstruct his candidature. Despite this, he asserted that he remained undeterred and proceeded with the filing.

Reflecting on his exit from the BJP, Das said he felt a sense of relief after leaving the party, contrasting his early years in its youth wing with his recent experience, which he described as marked by internal strain and lack of recognition.

While contesting as an Independent, Das said he continues to align with the BJP’s ideological framework and framed the Dispur contest as a political challenge against what he termed “Congress influence” within the ruling party. He pointed to his key rivals — BJP candidate Pradyut Bordoloi and Congress nominee Mira Borthakur Goswami as representing similar political backgrounds.

Das also sought to clarify his political trajectory, noting that he had briefly joined the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) in 2013 before returning to the BJP in 2014. He added that the AGP is currently an alliance partner of the BJP.

Criticising the party leadership, Das alleged that long-serving workers were being sidelined in favour of recent entrants, a trend he said had contributed to growing dissatisfaction within the organisation.

He further indicated that he is considering forming a new political platform, tentatively named “Trinamool BJP”, while maintaining that his decision to contest independently was shaped by prevailing circumstances.

Das’s entry into the fray as an Independent is expected to add a new dimension to the electoral contest in Dispur, one of the key constituencies in the state capital.