Double trouble in Congress
Mumbai/Guwahati: Revolt erupted in Congress’ backyard in Maharashtra and Assam when two senior ministers on Monday quit the party governments opposing their chief ministers.
Sulking senior Congress minister in Maharashtra Narayan Rane on met Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, gave his resignation and later slammed him for “slackness” in decision-making. He does not want to be a “partner in defeat” in the assembly elections due later this year, he said.
Similarly, another senior Congress minister in the Assam government Himanta Biswas Sarma met the state Governor and submitted his resignation. He claimed he met the Governor along with 38 MLAs and expressed non confidence in the Chief Minister. Assam goes to polls in less than two years.
Coming two months after Congress debacle in the Lok Sabha elections in both the states, the back-to-back developments have raised questions on the strategy the Congress high command and Rahul Gandhi propose to adopt to stem dissidence.
Both the ministers had resigned once earlier recently but were persuaded to withdraw it. Sarma said this time he would not withdraw the resignation and made it clear that he would not contest elections under Gogoi’s leadership.
After quitting as the minister Sarma said, “From now onwards we (he and his supporter MLAs) would continue to try dislodging CM Gogoi by opposing him within the party forum and without toppling government which belongs to Congress workers.”
“We dissident MLAs will play the role of constructive opposition in the Assembly, but obey party whip whenever there is one. We don’t have the confidence in Gogoi but we are bound by party discipline. As long as Congress president Sonia Gandhi does not remove him, we can’t do anything but register our protest this way” Himanta said. Just before going to Raj Bhawan, Dr Sarma said, “We are going to Raj Bhawan. We are definitely not going to support Tarun Gogoi. At the same time we are not going to break discipline of Congress party.”
Meanwhile, Gogoi said, “I was completely taken aback when I came to know that Himanta Biswa Sarma had gone to meet the Governor on Monday as he had met him on Sunday evening at his official residence and had also promised to come back for further discussion. (PTI and Our Correspondent)