Ending all speculation about the reshuffle of the ministry in Assam, all the 14 Ministers of the State on Monday tendered their resignations to the Chief Minister to pave way for reconstitution of the ministry. Sources said that the reconstitution of the ministry will take place later this week, subjected to the availability of Governot PB Charya in the State.
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has convened a meeting of the council of Ministers on Monday and asked them to resign. While eleven Ministers tendered their resignations to the Chief Minister personally, other three Ministers sent their resignations to the Minister as they could not attend the meeting. “We have been asked to tender our resignations. Eleven Ministers came to the meeting on Monday and submitted their resignations to the Chief Ministers personally. Three others including Industry and Commerce Minister Pradyut Bordoloi, Cultural Affairs Minister Pranati Phukan and Social welfare Minister Akon Bora could not attend the meeting and sent their resignations,” said State excise Minister Ajit Singh after coming out of the meeting on Monday.
It may be mentioned here that this will be the first reshuffle of the ministry in the three terms of Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi since 2001. The Congress in Assam had become a divided house since last two years after over 50 legislators under the leadership of former health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma run dissidence activities and demanded a change in leadership.
Although the Chief Minister managed to quell the dissidence with intervention of All India Congress Committee (AICC), the dissident came started demanding a reshuffle of the ministry particularly after the debacle of the Congress in the last lok Sabha polls. Those who are likely to be dropped includes Industries and Power Minister Pradyut Bordoloi, labour and Employment Minister Prithivi Majhi, PHE Minister Gautam Roy, Agriculture Minister Nilomoni Sen Deka, Planning and development Minister Tanka Bahadur Rai, Minister for cultural affairs Pranati Phukan and social welfare Minister Akon Bora, the sources said.
Veteran Congress leaders like Bhumidhar Barman and former Minister Sarat Barkotoky are likely to get a Cabinet berth in the new ministry to be constituted by the Chief Minister. Names of Chandan Sarkar, Etowa Munda, Girindra Mallick, Sukur Ali, Bismita Gogoi, Sumitra Patir are also doing the rounds for inclusion in the new ministry.
The reshuffle has, however, led to discontent among different leaders of the party and there were indications of a fresh rebellion within the Congress particularly. Various party leaders expressed their objections to the criteria selected by the AICC for the reshuffle—to axe those who failed to garner more votes in the last lok Sabha polls in their constituencies.
“The criteria should have been the works and performance of the Ministers. Those Ministers who had been in power for long years and yet failed to perform should have been axed and new faces should be inducted,” said a section of Congress leaders on Monday.