Assam TMC President Ripun Bora quits party

Digital Desk: Assam Trinamool Congress president Ripun Bora on Sunday resigned from the party, claiming that the people of the northeastern state consider it as a "regional party" of West Bengal and are "not willing to accept" it as their own.

In his resignation letter addressed to All India Trinamool Congress General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee, Bora, a former Rajya Sabha member, noted that he had proposed several strategies to party leader and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to improve TMC's acceptance in Assam, but these suggestions were "not implemented."

"Assam TMC has great potential, but several recurring issues have hindered our progress, including the perception of TMC as a regional party of West Bengal. To counter this perception, we made several suggestions," Bora said in his resignation letter.

He mentioned proposals such as appointing an Assamese leader at the national level of TMC, designating the residence of Bharat Ratna Dr. Bhupen Hazarika in Tollygunge, Kolkata as a heritage site, and transforming the Madhupur Satra in Cooch Behar into a cultural hub.

"Despite my persistent efforts over the past year and a half to secure a meeting with you and Mamata Didi to address these issues, I have not been successful," said Bora, who has also served as an Assam minister and state Congress president.

Having led Assam TMC for over two years and engaged extensively with the state's residents, Bora concluded, "Unfortunately, these unresolved issues have led many in Assam to continue viewing TMC as a party from another state. The people of Assam are unwilling to accept a party they perceive as being from elsewhere."

"In light of these challenges and the lack of a satisfactory resolution, I have made the difficult decision to disassociate myself from TMC," Bora added.