Kolkata, March 13 (IANS): Assam Congress legislator Rajdeep Goala is set to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the next few days, state Finance and Education Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said here on Friday.

"In the next few days, Congress MLA Rajdeep Goala will join the BJP," Sarma told mediapersons.

A day ago, Sarma -- convener of the North-East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) -- had claimed that an important Congress lawmaker in the state would cross over to the BJP soon.

"Some others may join too, a few others are also in touch," he said, while clarifying that the developments had no connect with the Rajya Sabha polls.

Goala, a two-time MLA from Lakhipur in Cachar district, is the son of Dinesh Prashad Goala -- a seven-time state lawmaker who also served as a Minister.

Goala junior entered the assembly on Congress ticket from Lakhpur in 2014 by winning a by-poll necessitated by his father's death. Subsequently, he was re-elected in 2016.