Back in 2015, Congress leader Himanta Biswa Sarma decided to invest in a party that had never won more than 12 per cent of the popular vote or an 8 per cent seat share in Assam. It proved a shrewd move; the BJP’s stock rose overnight to a 42 per cent vote share, and Sarma profited. Many speculators have since staked political capital on the BJP, and few have been disappointed. The latest to buy into the BJP is former Assam PCC chief Bhupen Kumar Borah.

The defection, coming as it does on the eve of assembly elections, poses a serious challenge for Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and her ‘Team Assam’, particularly state in-charge Bhanwar Jitendra Singh, the titular Maharaja of Alwar. Shedding its habitual arrogance, the Congress high command and top brass made unprecedented efforts to persuade Borah to stay, with Rahul Gandhi reportedly spending all of 15 minutes on the phone with him.

Not too long ago, Borah had claimed the BJP in Assam was a divided house. So many ex-Congressmen had joined that they formed a powerful coterie within the BJP, and this had led to infighting. He added that Sarma would, henceforth, not be allowed to induct more Congressmen, lest they dominate the old BJP hands. Now, Borah himself is poised to join the aforesaid ex-Congress coterie! Ironically, he had publicly accused the CM of political opportunism and predicted his return to the Congress.

The significance of Borah’s........

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