Guwahati, May 5 (IANS): Former BJP MLA Joy Ram Engleng has joined Congress on Friday in Diphu at a meeting where the State Congress President Bhupen Bora and Lok Sabha MP Gaurav Gogoi were present.

Engleng resigned from the BJP a few days ago writing a letter to the Assam BJP Chief Bhavesh Kalita.

He was also the chief executive member of the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC).

Engleng fought the 2016 Assembly election on BJP's ticket from the Howraghat Assembly constituency in Karbi Anglong district. He won the polls with a margin of more than 6,000 votes.

However, in 2021 state Assembly polls, he was denied a ticket by the BJP and Darsing Ronghang won the Assembly seat by more than 20,000 votes on behalf of the saffron party.

Along with Engleng, Bhupen Hasnu, former executive member of KAAC, and seven others have joined the Congress on Friday.

Meanwhile, the Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma played down Engleng's importance in the Karbi region.

He said, "Joy Ram Engleng has been inactive in politics for last few years. Whenever I visit Karbi Anglong district, I do not see him taking part in any activities. That is why I think his switching over to Congress will have no impact in the electoral politics."