Joyram Engleng, a former BJP MLA and chief executive member of the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) who has joined the Congress party recently is fielded as its candidate from the Diphu constituency.
He was the first politician in Karbi Anglong to join the BJP but quit later on and joined the grand old party. He resigned from the BJP state executive Committee and primary membership of the party. In the BJP ticket, Joyram contested the 2014 election in the Diphu Lok Sabha seat but lost to Congress candidate Biren Singh Ingti.
Engleng was elected to the Assam Legislative Assembly in the 2016 assembly elections from Howraghat Legislative Assembly Constituency. But during the 2021 assembly election, he was denied a party ticket. In his resignation letter to the BJP, he stated his decision to quit the party was due to the ongoing odd situation arising all over the society. “In the greater interest of the national integrity, peace and development I am quitting the BJP party,” he wrote.
He was the former CEM of KAAC but was ousted following his differences of opinion with then-HAD minister Kharsing Engti in 2013.
It was during the Modi wave in the country, that Engleng left the Congress party and joined the BJP.
During the 2021 assembly poll, BJP fielded former Member of Autonomous Council (MAC) Dorsing Ronghang instead of Engleng. Along with Engleng, Bhupen Hasnu, former EM of KAAC and seven others joined the Assam Congress in 2023. The other leaders who joined the Congress party were Maheswar Rayung, Edward Topno, Mohan Teron, Philip Terang, Kangbura Tisso, Chandra Lakthe, and Lokhi Kanti Bordoloi.