GUWAHATI: Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi has reiterated that he was not at all worried about dissension, if any, within the party and the legislature party against him as he was not the one who hankers for power.
“I will quit within a minute without any regret if asked by the high command. I am not after power. It is a democracy. Anyone has the right to meet anybody,” Gogoi said in reaction to some of his detractors within the party meeting the Congress president Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi on Wednesday.
Gogoi who has enjoyed unstinted support from the Congress high command for his envious feat of three consecutive wins at the trot for the party in Assembly polls in Assam since 2001 and success in respect of general elections and local body elections, has all along remained unfazed over dissidence that has been brewing within the legislature party since last year.
He says he is more focused on facilitating welfare of all sections of people than getting involved in power politics within the party. He has ignored growing demand within the party for reshuffle of the ministry as most of his ministers have been serving since 2001 without any break much to agony of those waiting on the wings.
Those who met Congress president Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi included Assam health minister Himanta Bishwa Sarma who is believed to be behind the dissidence. Sarma, however, termed the meeting with Sonia Gandhi of no special significance but a routine one. He said the discussions were mainly on how to win more seats in Assam in the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls.
He said it was his habit to try meeting the Congress president whenever he happens to be in New Delhi.
The other Congressmen from Assam who met Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi on Wednesday included Abdul Muhib Mazumder, Bidyasing Engleng and Dinesh Prasad Goala. Mazumder and Goala are known detractors of Gogoi.
Party sources said they had gone to meet Sonia Gandhi to apprise her of the present political and law and order situation in Assam vis-a-vis the Lok Sabha polls.