The expansion of the Cabinet by Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal seems to have led to dissidence in the State BJP, particularly ahead of the panchayat polls even as supporters of some of the ‘deprived’ legislators of the ruling party called for Assam bandh on Friday to protest against non inclusion in the Cabinet.
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal had on Thursday expanded his cabinet inducting seven ministers, including five BJP legislators and two others—one each from alliance partners Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and Bodoland Peoples’ Front (BPF).
Some youths took to the streets in Central Assam’s Morigaon district today protesting against non inclusion of BJP legislator from Morigaon Rama Kanta Deuri in the Cabinet. The supporters of Deuri had called for a 12 hour Assam bandh on Friday. The youths blocked roads affecting movement of vehicular traffic and vandalized on the streets to vent their grievances of non inclusion of Deuri in the cabinet. Deuri represents the Tiwa community in Assam.
Similarly another group of people took out a silent protest demonstration and procession in Assam’s Dibrugarh town today protesting against non-inclusion of BJP legislator from Dibrugarh constituency Prashanta Phukan in the cabinet.
Phukan’s supporters claimed that Phukan has been able to retain the Dibrugarh seat for the BJP since 2006. “He is a senior legislator who had worked for the BJP for several years.
While he was denied a cabinet berth, some people who had joined BJP only recently were inducted in the cabinet,” alleged the supporters of Phukan.
Similarly some supporters of Aminul Haque laskar, BJP legislator from Sonai constituency, also protested in Silchar and other adjoining areas in Barak Valley alleging deprivation on the part of the Chief Minister and said that there is not enough representatives from Barak Valley in the cabinet.
IN another development, All Assam Gorkha Students Union has also slammed the Assam government for not including anyone from the Gorkha community in the cabinet and set a deadline of 72 hours to the Chief Minister to review the decision.
The Gorkha students’ union also threatened to resign enmass if the community is not represented in the cabinet.