BJP open to persons associated with culture, education, agriculture and allied sectors: Ranjit Kumar Dass

The Assam BJP has closed its doors for leaders of other political parties, except those from Bodoland areas, state BJP President Ranjit Kumar Dass said on Wednesday. He added that the decision had been taken in view of the BJP's ongoing organisational elections.

Mr Dass' statement seems to allay the fears of some senior BJP leaders, who are annoyed over the spate of Congress leaders joining the saffron party.

BJP veterans, who have toiled for decades to build the party in Assam, are feeling insecure now that Congress' sitting Rajya Sabha MP Bhubaneswar Kalita, Santius Kujur and former Congress minister Goutam Roy are all in the BJP.

Mr Dass, however, added that his party was open to political leaders from Bodoland Territorial Areas Districts (BTAD) joining it. The BJP's presence is seemingly weak in BTAD, even though the Bodoland Peoples' Front (BPF), which is in power in the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) that runs the administration of BTAD, is an alliance partner of the BJP-led government in Assam.

Mr Dass said the BJP's doors were open to persons associated with culture, education, industry, agriculture and allied sectors.

He said that a total of about 17 lakh people have taken membership of the party recently and that Assam was way ahead of other states as far as the membership numbers were concerned.