Bhubaneswar Kalita likely to join BJP today: Former Congress chief whip was a tall leader from Assam

Former Congress chief whip in the Parliament, Bhubaneswar Kalita — who resigned from Rajya Sabha — is likely to join BJP on Friday. Earlier on Wednesday, ex-Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi had said: “I believe he (Kalita) is joining the BJP. If he remains in the Congress I will personally apologise to him." Kalita’s sudden resignation from the Upper House on the day home minister Amit Shah introduced the bill to revoke Article 370, had triggered numerous speculations regarding his subsequent silence and next move. [caption id=“attachment_7137131” align=“alignleft” width=“381”] File image of Bhubaneswar Kalita. Imgae courtesy: Twitter @BKalitaAssam[/caption] “My resignation has been accepted. I will not analyse the reasons now, maybe tomorrow or day after, I will explain,” Bhubaneswar Kalita told ANI when asked about his decision. However, in a purported letter, Kalita had remarked that Congress’ opposition to abrogation to Article 370 is a “clear path of self-destruction” adding that he “cannot continue to be in the party anymore”. The letter said that he can no longer be with the party which has forced the party leaders to think that he is likely to join other party and called the grand old party “disillusioned” in the absence of a leader. Kalita was a Congress Rajya Sabha member from Assam. He had less than a year left in his tenure and was due to retire on 9 April, 2020. He is the second Congress MP from Rajya Sabha to resign in the recent past after Sanjay Singh, who too has joined the BJP. Kalita — born on 1 April 1951 — had completed Masters in Arts in 1974 and LLB in 1978 from Gauhati University. Earlier he had studied BA from Cotton College, Guwahati in 1971 and done Matriculation from Rangia High School in 1967. He had held various important positions and portfolios, including energy and public enterprises while working in the Assam government under Congress rule.