Ex-Assam Congress chief Bhupen Borah to join BJP on Feb 22: Himanta Sarma
India Today
Days after resigning as Assam Congress chief, Bhupen Borah to join BJP on February 22, says Himanta Sarma
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday announced that former Assam Congress president Bhupen Borah will join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on February 22.
Speaking to reporters, Sarma said, “Bhupen Borah will join BJP on 22nd February. Dilip Saikia will work out the details. Along with him, a good number of Congress leaders will join the BJP in Guwahati and North Lakhimpur.”
He added, “He is the last recognised Hindu leader in Congress. Our National President, Nitin Nabin, has already approved his joining and welcomes him. Bhupen Borah will be accorded all due respect and dignity. Joining the BJP will be like a homecoming for him because it is a party with many people like him, whose fathers did not occupy any high offices.”
Earlier in the day, Sarma visited Borah’s residence in the Ghoramara area of Guwahati following his resignation from the Congress party. Borah’s wife and son welcomed the Chief Minister with ‘aarti’ during the visit.
Borah had resigned from the Congress on Monday, but the party's top leadership did not accept his resignation, making attempts to persuade him to take it back. Following this, he sought time to reconsider his decision.
Sarma had earlier said that the doors of the BJP are open for Borah, promising that he would help him win from a "safe seat" in the assembly polls.
A 23-year-old man in Panipat was murdered by three friends after he allegedly applied Holi colour to one accused's lover. The accused got him drunk, attacked him with a screwdriver and placed him alive on a railway track to make the killing look like an accident.
Responding to media queries, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the government "categorically rejects" the report and its characterisation of India. He said the commission has repeatedly presented a "distorted and selective picture" of the country.
The NDA won all five Rajya Sabha seats from Bihar after four Opposition MLAs skipped voting, dealing a setback to the Mahagathbandhan. The alliance also secured two seats in Odisha amid cross-voting by Opposition MLAs during the biennial polls.
A 46,000-tonne LPG shipment aboard Shivalik reached Gujarat's Mundra Port, carrying around 32 lakh domestic cylinders, as authorities rushed supplies to ease shortages triggered by disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.
India depends on imports to meet its demand for urea, one of the most widely-used fertilisers in India.
India Today's OSINT team identified at least 22 Indian-flagged vessels operating in the Gulf region, including seven LPG carriers, seven oil tankers, four container ships, two bulk carriers, one tug and one dredger.
India on Monday said it has not held bilateral talks with the United States on deploying naval vessels to secure merchant shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. The clarification came after US President Donald Trump urged countries to send warships to keep the strategic waterway open amid tensions with Iran.
After attacking his wife, Nafees attempted suicide by inflicting injuries on himself with the same scissors. Neighbours intervened after hearing the commotion and stopped him from taking his own life.
The victim, identified as Naitik Kumar, allegedly rammed his speeding Bullet motorcycle into a scooter near Janeshwar Mishra Park in Lucknow, triggering a crash that left him dead and two others injured.
RJD MLA who skipped Bihar Rajya Sabha poll voting cites mother's illness
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee led a protest march in Kolkata against the alleged LPG shortage, accusing the PM Narendra Modi-led Centre of failing to ensure adequate supply.
Himayani Puri, daughter of Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, has moved the Delhi High Court over "false and malicious" reports linking her to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The family, a resident of Thyagaraju Street in Punganur town, had recently repaired the engine of their two-wheeler vehicle. A local mechanic advised the family to keep the engine running overnight to "set" the newly installed parts. However, this turned out to be fatal for the family.