Twenty-seven rebel Congress MLAs and an associate Congress MLA in Assam on Monday called on Governor J.B. Patnaik and verbally conveyed to him that they had no confidence in Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and henceforth they would be playing the role of constructive Opposition in the Assembly. Dissident leader and Health and Education Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who led the delegation, tendered his resignation from the ministry to the Governor.
Briefing journalists after meeting the Governor, Dr. Sarma, however, announced that there would be no threat to the Congress government as they would obey party whip whenever it was issued and that they would not fail the budget to be tabled by the Gogoi government on the floor of the Assembly.
“We will, however, continue to fight within the party to dislodge Mr. Gogoi as Chief Minister and we will oppose all anti-people and anti-Assam policies of the government in both inside and outside the Assembly,” he added.
He clarified that dissidents would not topple the Gogoi government.
Dr. Sarma said that he went to meet the Chief Minister on Friday night after a senior central leader conveyed to him that the high command had decided against removing Mr. Gogoi, and advised him to work with him.
