Rebels resurface again after a lull
Guwahati: Even though the Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has announced that he is not going to vie for the chief minister of Assam after 2016 Assembly election, it has not sufficed to gag demands from among ruling Congress legislators for change the faces in his Cabinet.
Most of the ministers in Gogoi’s Cabinet has been serving since 2001 when Congress came to power under the leadership of Tarun Gogoi in Assam.
As almost same MLAs have been allowed to remain ministers by the chief minister Tarun Gogoi for such a long duration, it has created resentment among the other MLAs given that the party as on date has 78 MLAs of its own in the 126-member Assam Assembly.
There has been episodes of dissidence within the ruling Congress especially by the younger MLAs who have become frustrated waiting in the wings for a long tern waiting for their term to become ministers.
However, with the backing of the party high command which has remained grateful for Gogoi for leading the party to third consecutive win in Assembly elections in Assam since 2001, Gogoi has managed to quell the dissidence for the time being in view of the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Gogoi has even announced his desire to relinquish the chair of the CM after 2016 Assembly polls even if the party wins. But many of the party MLAs including some veteran MLAs are in no mood to wait till 2016 and want Gogoi to reconstitute his cabinet soon, preferably after Lok Sabha polls, to make room for other aspirants by removing the present set of ministers who have remained ministers for such a longtime.
Congress veteran like Sarat Barkotoky, Dinesh Prasad Goala, both of whom are not in the ministry, have been vociferous in their for change in the Cabinet.
Even health and education minister Dr Himanta Bishwa Sarma has agreed that it is natural for party MLAs to get resentful if the same set of MLAs remain ministers for such a long duration. He has said that those who have remained ministers since 2001 should consider to step down after the Lok Sabha polls to make way for new faces to enter the Cabinet as it would help quell dissidence within the party.
He also informed that he personally would make a ‘good offer’ after Lok Sabha polls as he had remained minister for a long time.
Gogoi goes Bihu shopping: Meanwhile, Gogoi on Sunday went shopping for the Magh Bihu festival beginning on Monday and wished the people on the occasion.
Gogoi visited the Beltola market here to shop for the festival which begins with the ‘Uruka’ or community feasting.
Gogoi went around the market asking vendors about prices of vegetables and purchased potatoes, brinjal, variety of herbs and jaggery. “I always enjoyed marketing for Bihu and on other occasions though now I don’t get time to do so,” Gogoi said. (With inputs from PTI)