Guwahati: He is 80, but still raring to contest Assembly election in 2016.Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi on saturday said he was going to contest next Assembly election in the state in 2016 going back on his earlier declaration that he would retire from politics after his present tenure as chief minister of
Assam comes to an end.
“Yes, I am going to contest in 2016 assembly election from Titabor LAC which I have represented since 2001. In fact, this time I am going to contest polls with more vigour,” Gogoi today announced in Jorhat
in eastern Assam.
Gogoi also said the Congress would field at least 40 new faces in 2016 Assembly election, a statement that is apparently meant to soften up those within the Congress legislature party who dared to raise the banner of revolt against him last summer.
Gogoi’s decision to con-test election in 2016 despite his ripe age would definitely have an impact a section of senior Congress leader who have been patiently eyeing the chair of CM for a long time. Gogoi has been the CM for the three consecutive terms and had been MP for five times since 1971 during his political career of over five decades.
Besides Gogoi’s bête noir , Dr Himanta Bishwa Sarma, other senior leaders who are on the race for the top post after Gogoi’s retirement included APCC president Anjan Dutta, senior MLA and a former ministers Pradyut Bardoloi, former Union Minister Paban Singh Ghatowar etc.
Meanwhile, APCC president Anjan Dutta announced that he was focused on revamping the party from the grass root level to tom the thwart the challenge from the BJP in the next Assembly election.
He said the Congress would announce candidates for the 40 LACs where the party had lost in 2011 polls, three months before the polls for the benefit of party workers and candidates.
