The ruling BJP formally inducted two expelled Congress MLAs, Ajanta Neog and Rajdeep Goala, three days after the duo met Union home minister Amit Shah in Guwahati.

Neog, who is seen as the biggest catch for the BJP months before next year’s Assembly polls, said during her induction in the presence of the state leadership that she joined the BJP for its “futuristic vision” and that the party (Congress) she was associated with for over 20 years has “unfortunately” got distanced from the masses.

A four-time MLA from Goalghat, Neog was also a key minister in the erstwhile Tarun Gogoi government with clout in her constituency in Upper Assam. She hails from a political family. Neog’s husband, Nagen Neog, was also a Congress minister, killed by Ulfa militants in 1996.

Goala, on the other hand, is a two-time MLA from Lakhipur constituency and the son of Dinesh Prasad Goala, a Congress strongman from Barak Valley.

While Neog was expelled from the Congress on Friday, Goala was expelled in October for anti-party activities.

Before the 2016 Assembly polls as many as 10 Congress MLAs defected to the BJP, including now NEDA convener Himanta Biswa Sarma, a defection, coupled with alliance with the AGP and BJP, propelled the BJP to power for the first time in the state.

Neog said, “I joined the BJP for its futuristic vision which is a must for us. Political parties without futuristic vision cannot move forward. It is unfortunate that the party I was associated with it has developed some gap with the people. I served the party selflessly for 20 years but circumstances compelled me to leave. As a new member I will contribute in whatever way possible to take the party forward, contribute towards achieving the party’s mission for 2021.”

The BJP has set a target of winning 100 plus of the 126 seats with its allies in the Assembly polls next year.

Both were welcomed to the saffron fold along with former BPF MLA Bolendra Mushahary by state unit president Ranjeet Kumar Dass, NEDA convener Himanta Biswa Sarma, several sitting MLAs and senior leaders at the party headquarters here on Tuesday.

The defection may also set to cost the Congress the post of leader of Opposition in the Assembly, presently held by Debabrata Saikia. The Congress, which had won 26 seats in 2016 is down to 20 in a House of 126 MLAs with the defections of Neog and Goala.