Suspended Congress MLA Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha to join BJP on March 5 ahead of Rajya Sabha polls

Guwahati (Assam) [India], March 5 (ANI): Suspended Congress MLA Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha is set to join the Bharatiya Janata Party Thursday morning, stating that Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma decided the timing, keeping in mind the Rajya Sabha elections.
Speaking to ANI on joining the BJP, Purkayastha said the joining will take place at 8 AM on Thursday.
"Keeping in mind the Rajya Sabha elections and everything else, the Chief Minister had taken this decision that our joining will happen at the right time, and the joining time has been given as 8 am tomorrow morning. I will work as a soldier of the BJP, and after joining tomorrow, I will work for the good of the party," Purkayastha said.
The development comes as part of a pattern of Congress leaders switching to the BJP in Assam ahead of the upcoming assembly elections.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had earlier indicated that several Congress leaders would join the BJP as per a schedule. Speaking to reporters in late February, CM Sarma noted that several Congress leaders are in line to join the BJP.
"I have a schedule in which Congress leaders will join us, and they will comply with the schedule. It is important for them to join before the 2029 General Elections. For me, all elections are important. BJP has already started preparing for the 2029 Lok Sabha elections," Sarma had said.
In February, former Assam Congress chief Bhupen Kumar Borah also joined the BJP, ending his three-decade-old ties with the party, dealing a big blow to the Congress ahead of the elections. He pointed out that the situation in the Assam Congress is "alarming".
Recently, CM Sarma again slammed the Congress over its first list of candidates for the upcoming Assam Assembly Elections, calling it a "dynastic list," while highlighting the BJP's emphasis on grassroots workers.
"One may call it a list, but I would call it a dynastic list. In contrast, the BJP's list would include grassroots workers. The party is fully prepared for the upcoming elections," Sarma had said.
The move is seen as a boost for the BJP ahead of the crucial Rajya Sabha polls, with the party looking to strengthen its position in the state.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission of India announced that polling for the upcoming Rajya Sabha biennial elections will be held on March 16, with vote counting the same day at 5 PM and the process concluding by March 20. The elections will fill 37 seats across 10 states, including Assam. (ANI)