GUWAHATI: Much-awaited reshuffle of Tarun Gogoi-led Congress ministry in Assam is expected to be carried out after the Assembly elections are over in Haryana and Maharashtra. This was informed by chief minister Tarun Gogoi while talking to media at his home constituency at Titabor on Monday.
The ministry in Assam has 19 slots including that of the chief minister’s. The ruling Congress has 78 MLAs in the 126-member Assam Assembly.
One of the vacancies in the Gogoi-led ministry was created when dissident Congress leader Himanta Bishwa Sarma, the then minister for health and education quit the ministry, following his differences with Tarun Gogoi.
Two other ministers, Ardhendu Dey and Siddique Ahmed, were removed from the ministry for raising the banner of revolt against Gogoi along with Sarma. Another minister Chandan Brahma quit after the Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) snapped ties with the ruling Congress complaining of ‘big brotherly’ attitude of Congress.
The BPF was the only ally of Congress in the state since 2006.
Gogoi had promised ministerial berths to many dissident MLAs in order to quell the dissidence.
One of the key demands of the dissidents was for reshuffling of the ministry by dropping ‘inefficient ministers’ who have been kept in the ministry for more than five years despite their lacklustre performance.
Gogoi is expected to induct at least three senior party MLAs and former ministers who had helped Gogoi to tide over the crisis of dissidence led by Himanta Bishwa Sarma.
A few ministers who have failed to deliver at the expected level are likely to be removed from the ministry to pave the way for new faces.
However, the party high command will have the final say about the reshuffle of the ministry in Assam and performance of the party in Assembly elections in Haryana and Maharashtra will definitely have a bearing on it.
