Dibrugarh, Dec 28: Senior BJP leader and former Union Minister Rajen Gohain has said that the control over the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the state must be handed over to the senior party workers, failing which he said, the party will soon see defection and collapse.

After holding a closed door meeting with the disgruntled senior members of the BJP at Milan Nagar in Dibrugarh on Friday, the former Union minister told newsmen that those senior party workers who toiled hard to strengthen the organisation from zero in the State are today feeling ignored and disrespected within the party.

"Several senior party workers have expressed their desire to withdraw their allegiance from the BJP because they are discontented. The present leadership does not recognize their sacrifice and contribution. I do acknowledge that gross injustice is being done to the senior members of the BJP in the State. Anger is brewing among the party workers and some have even spoken extremely like abandoning the party and joining the Indian National Congress (INC). I listened to their grievances and advised them to be patient," he said.

Gohain warned that if the present state BJP leadership fails to address the grievances of the senior BJP members and give them the respect they deserve, the party will fall apart and it will not stand because the anger among the senior workers is very strong.

"If the party leaders think that the disgruntled senior party workers are of no use and their alienation cannot sabotage the unity of the party, the leaders are wrong. Once defection starts, the inclination to change party will continue and the present day leaders will tremble," he said and called for addressing the issues of the party workers urgently to keep the unity of the BJP intact.

- By Staff Correspondent