Dissidents in Assam again press Gogoi to step down as CM
The problem of Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi may not be over merely by offering his resignation to the Congress president as the dissident camp, led by Assam health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, wants him to vacate the chair for a new chief minister in Assam.
Though, dissident leaders who claim to have the strength of nearly 50 out of 78 Congress legislators are tight- lipped, they gave enough hint about their action plan by motivating at least five Cabinet ministers to boycott the Cabinet meeting convened by the chief minister on Monday to formulate a strategy to observe completion of 13 years of the government led by him.
When the Cabinet meeting was held three Cabinet ministers — Himanta Biswa Sarma, Gautam Roy and Sidiqui Ahmed — were closeted at the residence of veteran Congress MLA Sarat Barkatoky in the MLA hostel.
The parliamentary secre- taries in the Gogoi government and deputy- speaker Bhima Nanda Tanti were also present in the meeting. Two senior ministers, Ardhendu Dey and Ajit Singh, did not attend the Cabinet meeting.
The leaders of the dissident camp emerging from the meeting, in their offcamera interaction with reporters said that they would insist on seeking a change of leadership as Mr Gogoi has lost the confidence of more than 50 legislators of the Congress.