Two Assam MLAs expelled by the Congress on Tuesday joined the Bharatiya Janata Party, about five months ahead of Assembly elections in the state.

Ajanta Neog and Rajdeep Gowala were inducted into the BJP by Assam minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. A few days ago, the Congress had suspended both of them for alleged anti-party activities, according to PTI. Neog, who represents the Golaghat Assembly constituency, was a member of former Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi’s Cabinet. Gowala, from Lakhipur constituency, is an influential leader in southern Assam.

The two leaders criticised their former party for the lack of direction, NDTV reported. “There is a huge gap in Congress – gap between the party leadership and grassroot workers and that is the main reason we left,” Neog said. “There is an isolation of the grassroot workers. Their national leadership doesn’t care about what grassroots workers think.”

Gowala, on the other hand, said the Congress had no vision or future. “Congress is a party with no future, no vision – it’s directionless, there is a leadership crisis and it cannot do anything good to the people,” he added.

Former Bodoland People’s Front MLA Banendra Mushahary also joined the BJP along with Neog and Gowala. Sarma said that the three new entrants will help the BJP achieve its goal of winning 100 out of 126 Assembly seats in the polls next year, The Indian Express reported.

The two exits have reduced Congress’ strength to 20 MLAs in the 126-member state Assembly, according to NDTV. It needs 21 MLAs to keep its Opposition party status.