AGENCIES
GUWAHATI, JUNE 15
[dropcap]C[/dropcap]hief Minister Tarun Gogoi is under tremendous pressure from dissidents to reshuffle the three-year-old ministry instead of resigning. This is a compromise formula that the dissidents have to offer Gogoi to resolve the two-year-old crisis within the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) over his leadership.
A source said the dissidents are preparing a raw deal and besides the demand for reshuffling the ministry, it also includes creation of a post of deputy chief minister, which would have to be given to a dissident. There is also pressure on Gogoi to give up the home portfolio that he holds and put a rebel leader in his place.Gogoi went into a silent mode since he met AICC president Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi over the dissidence issue about a month ago. The three-time chief minister has maintained that he would reshuffle the ministry when required.
Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Bhubaneswar Kalita said, “We are discussing the issue of a possible reshuffle of the ministry.” Health and education minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who is among the four ministers in the dissident camp, was camping in New Delhi and held discussions with senior AICC leaders Gulam Nabi Azad and CP Joshi on the crisis in the state in New Delhi.
On his return from Delhi on Saturday, Sarma said, “I have held two rounds of discussions with CP Joshi and three rounds with Gulam Nabi Azad. The AICC will take a decision on resolving the crisis in the next two days and convey the same to us. I hope the crisis would be resolved soon.” A source said the dissidents have been told that by AICC leaders that Gogoi would not be replaced.
