A month before the Lok Sabha elections in Assam, the ruling BJP’s top minority leader in the state resigned and joined the Congress on Wednesday. Aminul Haque Laskar became the Assam BJP’s first minority MLA in 2016.

Once a deputy speaker of Assam assembly, Mr Laskar was appointed the chairperson of the Assam State Commission for Minorities. In 2021, he lost to All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF)’s Karim Uddin Barbhuiya.

The leader told NDTV that he chose to resign as the BJP “lost its political ideology” in Assam. “I had been with BJP for 13 years, the BJP of those days and now is lot different. That time BJP used to talk about change,” he said.

The leader joined Congress in the presence of party’s Assam in-charge Jitendra Singh Alwar on Wednesday.

Mr Laskar also warned that his exit will affect the ruling party’s credibility among the minority community and alleged that the BJP’s ideology was now becoming similar to Badruddin Ajmal’s AIUDF.

“When I became BJP MLA in 2016 , I was they one one across this region from Muslim community but now that I have left it will harm BJP’s credibility among Muslims in Assam. BJP is now hand in glove in Assam with AIUDF,” he said.

Assam will vote in three phases on April 19, April 26 and May 7 for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.