Assam: Two more Congress MLAs extend support to CM Himanta Sarma, party faces setback

Guwahati (Assam) [India], February 14 : Ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, Congress has faced another major setback after two more MLAs of Assam extended their support to the Assam government led by Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma.
Two Congress MLAs Basanta Das and Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha have extended their support to the BJP-led Assam government and on Wednesday met Assam Chief Minister at his office in the Assam Legislative Assembly.
Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma said, two more Congress MLAs have extended their support to the state government.
"Today, two Congress MLAs Basanta Das and Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha have extended their support to the Assam government. Earlier, two Congress MLAs Sashi Kanta Das and Siddique Ahmed had extended their support. So far, four Congress MLAs have extended their support to the government. In coming days, all opposition MLAs will extend their support to the government," CM Sarma said.
The Assam Chief Minister further said that, in the coming days more senior Congress leaders will extend their support to the state government.
He further said, "Assam will become a state where all MLAs will support state government and central government. Now, people are very happy with the kind of work that PM Modi is doing in Assam. State Govt is also trying to complement it, it's a double-engine government. In heart and mind, there is no opposition in Assam but because of certain compulsion, they are in opposition. Now, people are breaking that compulsion and coming closer to us..."
Basanta Das told ANI that, he has decided to support the Assam government led by CM Sarma for greater development in his constituency.
"I am a Congress MLA. I am a Dalit MLA. The BJP-led government at both centre and state has done lots of development work. For greater interest in my constituency and Dalit people, I have decided to extend my support to the Assam government," Basanta Das said.
Earlier, Congress MLA Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha who on Wednesday extended his support to the Assam government along with another Congress MLA Basanta Das, resigned from the post of Working President of Assam Pradesh Congress Committee with immediate effect.
Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha sent his resignation letter to the President of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee.
In a letter dated February 13, Purkayastha said, "I do hereby resign from the post of Working President, Assam Pradesh Congress Committee with immediate effect and continue the work only as Primary member of the Congress party."