After being denied a party ticket for next month’s assembly polls, Assam BJP minister Nandita Garlosa joined the Congress late on Sunday night and would be contesting as its candidate for the Haflong (ST) constituency.. Nandita Garlosa joined the Congress in the presence of party leaders, including Assam Pradesh Congress Committee general secretary Nirmal Langthasa. (HT Photo). The Congress had named Nirmal Langthasa as its candidate from Haflong in its fifth list released on Sunday. Following Garlosa’s induction, the party leadership replaced Langthasa and fielding her instead.. Garlosa joined the Congress in the presence of party leaders, including Assam Pradesh Congress Committee general secretary Nirmal Langthasa.. ALSO READ | Assam assembly polls 2026: With a day left for nominations, all eyes on ‘rebels’. “We are very happy to announce that Nandita Garlosa has joined the Congress party….Congress will declare her as our candidate for Haflong seat tomorrow,” said Congress in a statement.. “Garlosa is set to contest the election in congress ticket from the Haflong seat as Sh Langthasa has proactively volunteered to vacate there seat in larger public interest. The formalities for the same will be duly completed shortly,” it added.. The switch happened before the last date for filing of nomination on Monday. Voting for the single phase assembly election to all 126 seats will take place on April 9.. A sitting MLA from Haflong, she was denied a ticket by the BJP, which fielded Rupali Langthasa from the seat after dropping several sitting legislators.. ALSO READ | Congress to fight 100 seats in Assam assembly elections after forging alliance with five other parties. She reacted soon after the BJP announced its candidate list on March 19. Senior leaders, including Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, had reached out to her.. Sarma visited Dima Hasao on Sunday before travelling to Silchar to meet party leaders. BJP leaders in Haflong said Garlosa did not attend the meetings during the visit.. Speaking to reporters in Guwahati late Sunday night, Sarma initially said only a few leaders had left the party and that Garlosa was not quitting the BJP. He later revised his statement after learning of her move.. “I had spoken to her and she seemed satisfied. The Congress had already announced its candidate from Haflong. I don’t know why she is joining that party,” he said.. Garlosa was elected in 2021 and was inducted into the state cabinet. She handled the mines, minerals and tribal faith portfolios.. In Barak Valley, the BJP has dropped three sitting MLAs from its candidate list. One of them, Nihar Ranjan Das, resigned from the party but later said he would not contest independently after meeting the chief minister.. Another former BJP MLA, Amar Chand Jain, has joined the Congress and has been named as its candidate from Katigorah.. In Katigorah, the BJP has fielded former Congress MLA Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha. The chief minister has said he
