Assam: Rahul Gandhi met 15 parties with no identity, but did not meet 24 MLAs of his own party, says MLA

Assam MLA Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha said that during the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi did not meet any of the 24 MLAs of the state. 

Purkayastha, who created a storm within the Congress earlier today by extending his support to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, said that Rahul Gandhi found time to meet the leaders of the INDIA alliance but could not find time to meet any MLA from his own party, during the course of the Yatra. 

What is more is that the North Karimganj MLA said that Rahul Gandhi met such parties who don't even have an identity among the people, but did not meet his own party MLAs. 

"There are 24 MLAs. He met with 15 parties of the INDIA alliance, who don't have any identity and these are the Parties whose names people have not yet heard of. Such parties are also now demanding that they want two to three seats. When the alliance took place, Bhupen Borah did not talk to any of the leaders.  Rahul Gandhi should have had a meeting with the 24 MLAs for half an hour and an hour atleast. He was here for eight day. No such meeting took place. The last day there was a meeting in the vehicle and I don't know what talks took place," said Purkayastha. 

Purkasyashta further claimed that several people within the Congress party are in touch with Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. He said it is evident as the CM has detailed knowledge of the talks that took place of the meeting with Rahul Gandhi held during his Nyaya Yatra.  

"The point is that our Chief Minister knows more about the meeting more than I do. And he knows the details with quotations. The Chief Minister today talked about the meeting while making quotes from the meeting. He knew what Jairam Ramesh and others had talked in the meeting. This has led me to believe that internally several persons are with the Chief Minister," he said.
 
Another important point which Purkayastha makes is that there is a major lack of internal communication within the party. He said that there is no empathy among the party members and internal lobbying is rife. 

"A party is like a family and there is a lot of affection for it. But now the situation is that if one person is in trouble then others don't call and enquire about him. And forget making a phone call, there are internal lobbying among people. If there is further lobbying amidst such a situation, then how can you stay there? These things have to be reformed. If it get reformed then its fine. Or else the system has rotted," he said. 

On asked as to when he would be joining the BJP, Purkayastha said that he is a member of the Congress and will continue to be so.  
"I am still a member of the Congress. But I am here for the sake of development. Now what happens in the future is a different thing," said Purkayastha. 

Earlier in the day, Congress MLAs Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha and Basanta Das met and felicitated Assam CM today. Both of them have extended support to BJP in the Assam Legislative Assembly.

The Congress is facing a challenging situation with multiple leaders defecting to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) prior to the Lok Sabha elections.

On January 28, Angkita Dutta, the expelled president of Assam Youth Congress, and former MLA Bismita Gogoi, joined the BJP, levelling various allegations against the party leadership.

Dutta specifically criticised Rahul Gandhi. Recent changes in the tone of Pradyut Bordoloi, the sitting MP of Nagaon, have sparked rumours of his possible replacement by Gaurav Gogoi and his potential move to the BJP. Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha's recent announcement of his intention to support the Assam Chief Minister indicates the possibility of further Congress members joining the BJP in Assam, adding to the Congress party's troubles ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.