Former AGP leader Jayanta Khaund joins Congress

The Congress on Monday (March 9, 2026) inducted former Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) national finance secretary Jayanta Khaund and several others into the party, a move that it hopes will boost the morale of workers ahead of the forthcoming Assembly elections in Assam.

Mr. Khaund joined the Congress at the party headquarters here in the presence of Jitendra Singh Alwar, AICC general secretary in charge of Assam; D.K. Shivakumar, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and Congress senior observer for Assam; Gaurav Gogoi, Assam Pradesh Congress Committee president; and Manoj Chauhan, AICC national secretary.

Welcoming him into the party, Mr. Gogoi said the induction of a grassroots leader like Mr. Khaund reflected growing discontent in Assam against the leadership of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. Mr. Gogoi alleged that several leaders within the ruling dispensation felt “suffocated” under the present leadership, claiming that sincere workers were being sidelined while corrupt elements were being promoted.

Mr. Gogoi said Mr. Khaund’s decision to join the Congress indicated a widening desire for political change in the State.

Taking aim at the BJP, Mr. Singh alleged that the party followed a pattern of weakening regional parties after entering into alliances with them. He said similar attempts were being made to undermine the AGP in Assam, adding that Mr. Khaund’s entry would strengthen efforts to safeguard Assam’s culture and values.