TMC Assam President Ripun Bora Quits Party, Says 'Unsuccessful Despite Repeated Attempts To Meet...'

Ripun Bora said the people of Assam are not willing to accept a party that they perceive as being from another state and he was compelled to make a 'difficult decision' to disassociate from TMC.

Assam TMC President Ripun Bora on Sunday resigned from the party claiming that TMC is perceived as a regional party of Bengal and his suggestions to the party have been unaddressed. 

He said that the people of Assam are not willing to accept a party that they perceive as being from another state and therefore he was compelled to make a 'difficult decision' to disassociate from the party.

"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, such as the need for an Assamese leader at the national level...," Bora said in the resignation letter addressed to TMC National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee.

Bora claimed that he had suggested the need for an Assamese leader at the national level of TMC, declaring the residence of Bharat Ratna Dr Bhupen Hazarika at Tollygunge in Kolkata as a heritage site and converting the Madhupur Satra in Cooch Behar to a cultural hub.

"Despite my repeated attempts over the past year and a half to secure an appointment with you and our Chief Minister Didi to address these concerns, I have been unsuccessful," he added.

"My decision to resign is not borne out of grievances but rather due to circumstances beyond my control. I will continue to fight against communal and fascist forces on a personal level. Please consider this letter as my formal resignation from the party membership," said Bora, who switched over to the TMC from Congress in April 2022.

Bora claimed that under his leadership, the party had launched a massive membership drive, establishing a strong presence across 31 of Assam's 35 districts within six months.

"We expanded TMC's reach to the block and panchayat levels and formed key cells and departments such as SC, OBC, human rights and minority to strengthen the party's influence. Our efforts and a series of agitational programmes against the BJP received a phenomenal response; however, they did not translate into success in the Lok Sabha elections. I have already shared an analysis of this outcome with you," Bora told Banerjee in the letter.

Later in the day, Assam Trinamool Youth Congress president Mehboob Ali also resigned from the party.