Dissident Congress legislators and Ministers in Assam have given time till 5 p.m. on Friday to Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi to talk to three senior party legislators to defuse the crisis in the ruling party or be ready to "face the consequences."
Health and Education Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma told reporters that they would wait till 5 p.m. and if Mr Gogoi failed to respond and show sagacity, the Congress legislators would have no option but to call on the Governor to place their demand.
“The onus is on Tarun Gogoi to save the party from crisis. If he does not respond by 5 p.m. then he has to face the consequences. Raj Bhawan has given appointment at 5 p.m. I am not bothered if Mr. Gogoi is going to sack me or not. I am not going to work under him. Mr. Gogoi has gone to Delhi along with ten ministers and legislators only to stage a drama of resignation," Dr. Sarma said after a meeting of dissident legislators on Friday.
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He also claimed that AICC in-charge of Assam C.P. Joshi had told him that an AICC observer would come to the State within a week and that the party high command had neither accepted nor rejected Mr. Gogoi's resignation.
The Minister, who has been projected as the next Chief Minister of Assam, said that they would accept anyone appointed by Congress president Sonia Gandhi as a replacement to Mr. Gogoi as Chief Minister.
Dissidents have been claiming the support of 45 out of the total 78 Congress legislators in the State Assembly.
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