Guwahati :In a big political shift ahead of the Assam Assembly polls, former state Congress chief Bhupen Borah will join the Bharatiya Janata Party on February 22.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma made the announcement on Tuesday.

The move comes after days of confusion about Borah’s future. On February 16, he resigned from the Indian National Congress. But he returned to the party within hours. Now, his final decision to switch sides has cleared the air.

On Monday, Sarma visited Borah at his home in Ghoramara, Guwahati. Borah’s family welcomed him with an aarti. After the meeting, Sarma said state BJP chief Dilip Saikia would begin talks with Borah to settle the details of his entry.

Sarma also said Borah had faced long struggles inside the Congress. He added that the BJP would give him space to work for his goals.

Earlier in the day, Borah had hinted he might stay back in Congress if senior leaders Pradyut Bordoloi and Debabrata Saikia assured him that the party’s state unit was working in its true spirit.

He had said he was not part of any party at that moment and was waiting for clarity from the leadership.

With his decision now firm, Borah’s shift is seen as a key gain for the BJP before the next state elections.