Denied BJP ticket, sitting MLA replaces Congress nominee in last- minute reshuffle before April 9 polls
Guwahati: In a dramatic pre-deadline shift, Assam Minister Nandita Garlosa has quit the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and crossed over to the Congress. She is set to contest from the Haflong (ST) constituency. This switch comes just hours before the nomination closes for the April 9 Assembly polls.
The move follows the BJP’s decision to deny her a ticket, opting instead to field Rupali Langthasa as part of a broader shake-up that saw several sitting legislators dropped. Garlosa, the incumbent MLA from Haflong, had represented the seat since 2021 and held key portfolios including, mines, minerals and tribal faith.
The Congress, which had earlier named Nirmal Langthasa as its candidate, swiftly revised its list to accommodate Garlosa. Party leaders said Langthasa stepped aside in the “larger public interest”, enabling the late entry of the former BJP Minister.
Moreover, the switch comes despite outreach from senior BJP leaders, including Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who had expressed surprise at the development. The CM initially indicated that she would remain with the party.
The exit is a part of a wider chiurn in the Barak valley and adjorning hill districts, where ticket denials have trigerred resignators and crossovers.
Notably, in the Barak Valley, the BJP’s candidate reshuffle has triggered a series of exit and strategic shifts. Former MLA Nihar Ranjan Das resigned from BJP after being denied a ticket but later ruled out contesting independently following a meeting with the Chief Minister.
At the same time, ex-BJP legislator Amar Chand Jain has joined the Congress and will contest from Katigorah, where the BJP has fielded former Congress MLA Kamakhya Dey Purkayastha, with the Chief Minister expressing confidence of a win.
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