Prateek Bordoloi has withdrawn his candidature from the Margherita Assembly constituency in Assam, a day after his father and Nagaon MP, Pradyut Bordoloi, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
In a letter addressed to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday (March 19, 2026), the son said the “present circumstances following my father’s decision to join another political party” were inappropriate for him to continue as a candidate.
The senior Bordoloi quit Congress on March 17 and joined the BJP the following day in New Delhi. The BJP nominated him as its candidate from the Dispur Assembly seat on Thursday (March 19, 2026).
“I believe that the people of Margherita and the countless dedicated Congress workers deserve absolute clarity and confidence in the party’s candidate. It would be unfair to them if any confusion or perception arose regarding my commitment or the party’s position,” Prateek Bordoloi wrote.
He insisted that his decision was guided by his respect for the organisation and his desire to uphold the values and discipline of the Congress party.
“However, I wish to reiterate that my faith in the ideals of Congress remains unwavering. I will continue to work for the party and for the development of Margherita in whatever capacity the leadership deems appropriate,” he wrote.
His father had won the Margherita Assembly seat four times from 1998 to 2011 before losing it to the BJP’s Bhaskar Sharma in 2016.
Published – March 19, 2026 02:20 pm IST
