On eve of Panchayat polls, AAP councillor, anti-CAA youth leader joins BJP
Terming it a 'journey from darkness to light’, BJP state president Dilip Saikia hailed the induction
Dilip Saikia and Jayanta Malla Baruah at the programme
Guwahati, May 6: Just a a day ahead of the second phase of the Panchayat polls, prominent leaders from opposition parties — including AAP councillor Masuma Begum and student leader Pranjal Kalita — formally joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at Vajpayee Bhawan in Guwahati, on Tuesday.
The high-profile switch, coming on the eve of polling, signals a strategic boost for the ruling BJP. The induction ceremony was attended by BJP Assam state president Dilip Saikia and cabinet minister Jayanta Malla Baruah.
Masuma Begum, who represented Ward No. 42 of the Guwahati Municipal Corporation, had until recently been associated with the Aam Aadmi Party. Notably, AAP had held a press conference attacking the BJP just days before Begum’s defection.
“I joined the BJP because I believe in the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. Whatever work I could accomplish during my time with AAP was actually facilitated by BJP-led initiatives. That truth must be acknowledged,” Begum said.
Begum added that her decision was rooted in her desire to serve the people more effectively. “There is no discrimination in GMC fund distribution. The BJP has worked for development without bias. I haven’t come for power or position — I have come to work. And if people trust me, I will contest the 2026 Assembly elections,” she said.
Along with Begum, four to five other women members from AAP’s state women’s cell also joined the BJP. Former AGP councillor Kalpana Das of Ward 10 and several grassroots leaders from the Congress, AIUDF, and People’s Party also switched allegiance to the saffron party.
The most striking entry, however, was that of Pranjal Kalita — General Secretary of the Chhatra Mukti Sangram Samiti and a frontline face of the anti-CAA movement in Assam.
Speaking at the event, Kalita said, “Many of the issues we raised during the CAA protests have now been addressed. I was misled by the Opposition’s narrative, but I’ve corrected my course. I have been drawn to the BJP’s ideology, its governance, and the work it has done for the people.”
Kalita added that his education at institutions inspired by Srimanta Sankardev helped shape his current outlook. “We are not with those who seek to divide the country. I have realised where I went wrong, and now I’m here to stand with a party that puts India first.”
Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah hailed the defections as a blow to the opposition. “Masuma Begum’s entry shows that the Opposition is collapsing. From personal to political life, BJP works collectively. There is no personality cult here — only team spirit and service,” he said.
BJP state president Dilip Saikia called the mass induction a “journey from darkness to light” and invoked the spirit of readiness ahead of Wednesday’s polling.
“This is like the mock drill of the 1971 Indo-Pak war. Tomorrow’s vote is our drill — we must all be prepared. Our target is to increase voter turnout from 70.2% to 80.2%. If there is a political battle, BJP will win it,” he declared.
The wave of new joinings, especially just before the crucial second phase of voting, is seen as a calculated move to project momentum and unity within the BJP.