SILCHAR: The appointment of the presidents in the three Barak Valley districts effectively marked the return of familiar figures from the Congress party. Sajal Acharjee, a notable youth leader during the tenure of the late Sontosh Mohan Dev, who was later marginalized by Dev’s daughter, Susmita Dev, has been appointed as the district president of Cachar. In Hailakandi, the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) selected Ishaque Ali Barbhuiya, a former Inspector of Schools, recognized for his close ties with the former influential Congress leader, Gautam Roy. Despite Roy’s subsequent shift to the BJP, Barbhuiya remained loyal to the Congress during a significant crisis. In the recent Panchayat elections, Barbhuiya served as the president in charge of the Hailakandi Congress, leading the party to a commendable performance. He maintained a close relationship with former MLA Rahul Roy, who is poised to return to the Congress party.
In Sribhumi, Tapas Purkayastha has been appointed as the new district president. Although Purkayastha is known to be a close associate of MLA Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha, he did not abandon the party when the latter shifted his loyalty to the BJP. The nomination of Tapas Purkayastha, a former educator, for the district president position was reportedly put forward by Hafiz Rashid Ahmed Choudhury, who ran unsuccessfully in the last Lok Sabha election in Karimganj. Tapas Purkayastha dedicated significant effort to support the party candidate, despite his close association with Kamalakhya.
Sajal Acharjee, Tapas Purkayastha, and Ishaque Ali expressed that their main objective would be to persuade the leaders and workers who were once at the forefront but have since been marginalized. All three district presidents affirmed that under Gaurav Gogoi’s leadership, they would energetically strive to revitalize the party.
