Assam Governor JB Patnaik on Wednesday approved Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi’s recommendation of dropping Ardhendu Dey and Siddeque Ahmed from the Council of Ministers.
The Chief Minister had last night decided to drop both the rebel Ministers —Dey and Ahmed — from the Ministry for indiscipline. Gogoi had also accepted the resignation of State Health and Education Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday. Patnaik also approved the resignation of Himanta Biswa Sarma on the recommendation of the CM.
State Irrigation and Soil Conservation Minister Dey and Minister of State (Independent charge) for Cooperation and Border area development Ahmed had been very vocal against the CM after the party failed to score desired results in the recently concluded lok Sabha polls. and both were giving statements to the media against Gogoi and the party in the recent past.
The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee had yesterday said that it had sent the report on dissident activities to the All India Congress Committee (AICC) and waiting for a response from them bout the rebel legislators.
The Chief Minister’s office here also informed that the Gogoi is likely to effect a reshuffle in the ministry soon and that some of the senior Congress legislators are likely to be accommodated in the ministry.
later, the Chief Minister also allocated additional portfolios temporarily to four ministers in his ministry. While Food & Civil
Supplies and Consumer Affairs minister Nazrul Islam was allocated the additional portfolio of Health and Family Welfare, power and industry minister Pradyut Bordoloi had been allocated Education portfolio.
Assam’s agricultural minister Nilamoni Sen Deka was allocated two additional portfolios, Irrigation and Soil Conservation, the statement issued by the CMO said today while adding that minister of state (Independent Charge), Excise, Sports & Youth Welfare Ajit Singh was given Cooperation as additional portfolio.
The Governor had also approved the additional allocation of portfolios to the ministers, the statement said.
On Monday, leader of the dissident group of Congress legislators in Assam and state health and education minister Himanta Biswa Sarma tendered his resignation to Governor J.B. Patnaik while saying that it is not possible to work under Chief Minister Gogoi.
Sarma, however, made it clear that there is no threat to the Congress government in Assam as of now and said that their intention is not to topple the government. He said that he and other dissident legislators would play the role of a constructive opposition against the Chief Minister.