Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday said two Congress MLAs- Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha and Basanta Das - have decided to "join the government".

Purkayastha was the working president of the Opposition party while Das was a minister in the Tarun Gogoi government.

Sarma, who heads a BJP-led government in the state, welcomed both the legislators at the chief minister's chamber inside the Assembly complex while the Budget Session of the House was in progress.

Purkayastha, who has been in the Congress for several decades since his NSUI days, was elected from the Karimganj North constituency in Karimganj district during Assembly polls in 2021.

Das was a former minister in Tarun Gogoi's government and he won the Assembly polls from Mangaldoi seat in 2021.

"Showing faith in the Narendra Modi-led central government, the two Congress MLAs have decided to support the government. For all public welfare programmes and constructive works, they will support both state and central governments," Sarma told reporters here.

Purkayastha, who resigned as the working president of Congress on Tuesday, and Das will continue to remain MLAs of the Opposition party, but have lent "unconditional support" to the Government of Assam for working towards the people, he added.

The Two MLAs were not available for comment.

Both the MLAs have joined the group of two other Congress MLAs -- Sashi Kanta Das and Siddeque Ahmed - who too had extended their "support to the government" but are a part of the opposition party's legislators.

Officially, the BJP's strength in the 126-member Assam Assembly is 61, while its allies UPPL has seven MLAs and AGP has nine.

In the opposition camp, the Congress' strength is 27, AIUDF has 15 members, BPF has three and CPI(M) has one MLA. There is one Independent legislator also.

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