Assam Minister Nandita Gorlosa joins Congress after BJP denies ticket

Former BJP leader and Assam Minister Nandita Gorlosa joined Congress on Sunday (March 22, 2026) after being denied a ticket for the single-phase Assam Assembly polls scheduled to be held on April 9, 2026.

Her decision came shortly after she submitted a formal resignation letter to Assam BJP president Dilip Saikia, stepping down from her ministerial responsibilities and primary membership of the party with immediate effect.

In the letter, Ms. Gorlosa wrote, "I am writing to formally submit my resignation from the primary membership of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) with immediate effect." "In view of the above, I request you to relieve me of my responsibilities with immediate effect. I appreciate the opportunities I have had to serve the people and the party, and I would like to thank you for your support during my tenure," she further said.

Congress leader Jitendra Singh Alwar announced in a post on X that, Ms. Gorlosa formally joined the party in the presence of senior leaders, including Assam Congress general secretary Nirmal Langthasa, who was earlier the party's candidate from the Haflong Assembly constituency.

Congress said that Mr. Langthasa agreed to step aside to accommodate Ms. Gorlosa's candidature from Haflong. The party said that Ms. Gorlosa will be declared as the Congress candidate from the Haflong constituency.

Talking about Ms. Gorlosa's political career, Congress said, “For the past five years, she has been a strong voice of Dima Hasao, consistently standing firm on her beliefs and principles, even at personal and political cost.”

Taking a jibe at Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma, Congress said, “Under the Himanta Biswa Sarma’s corrupt governance, tribal interests have been neglected, with a focus on handing over land to big corporations.”

(With inputs from ANI)