NEW DELHI, June 17 – With the deadline for downsizing of ministry fast approaching, Assam ministers are making a beeline to Delhi to lobby with the Party High Command to save their job. At least half dozen ministers of Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi’s cabinet are currently camping in the State Guest House and five star hotels trying to meet AICC president Sonia Gandhi, while more were reported to be on their way.
Some of the Ministers who have already landed in the Capital included State PWD Minister Sarat Borkotoki, State Transport Minister Anjan Dutta, State Industry Minister, Bhubaneswar Kalita, Minister of State for Water Resources, Nurjamal Sarkar besides State Finance Minister, Nilomoni Sen Deka. Interestingly, Ministers cite personal business as their purpose of visit to Delhi. While the State Transport Minister claimed that he is here to consult doctors regarding his father’s health, Sri Kalita said that he is visiting Delhi to fix up appointments for a business delegation that is arriving next week to meet various Central Ministers.
It was only State PWD Minister who candidly admitted that he has come to meet the AICC leaders. Interestingly, in case of Nurjamal Sarkar he cannot even claim to be here on official business as Union Water Resources Minister Priyaranjan Das Munshi his counterpart, is out of the country. The State Finance Minister has valid reason to be here as he has come to attend the meeting of Finance Ministers convened by Union Finance Ministry to discuss Value Added Tax (VAT). Sudden rush of ministers and MLAs, however, has put pressure on the two State guest houses, packed as it was because of the admission season. With a chunk of the rooms occupied by newly elected MPs, some of the Ministers had to be shifted to plush five star hotels.
In their list of ‘must-meet’ personalities, Sonia Gandhi is at the top followed by AICC in-charge for Assam Digvijay Singh and other senior leaders. Some have even called on AICC secretary Chandan Bagchi, while others have used the V George route to line up an appointment with Smt. Gandhi. The State PWD Minister, Sarat Borkotoki along with Party vice president, Chittaranjan Patowary managed to meet the AICC president yesterday. They described the visit as a courtesy call conceding that they did discuss the ‘political situation’ in the State. Sri Patowary told this correspondent that he briefed her about the recent elections and the position of the Party. He also claimed to have made few suggestions to further strengthen the organisation in the State before the Assembly polls.
Curiously enough, the Congress Party’s performance in the Lok Sabha polls has sealed the fate of Gogoi’s detractors within the Party. By managing to wrest nine of the 10 seats the Party held, Sri Gogoi’s stock is running high in AICC. But even then feeble attempts are being made and according to a Congress leader they have pointed out to Smt Gandhi and Sri Singh that Congress Party in Assam was getting complacent as a result of which it has come second in 74 of the Assembly segments if AGP and BJP vote share are combined together.
Though none of the detractors are openly seeking a change of leadership, murmurs of discontent are surfacing. It was to present the other side of the picture that Dwijen Sarma Rajya Sabha MP met Smt Gandhi yesterday. Sri Sarma later told this newspaper that he has conveyed that Chief Minister enjoyed confidence of all sections within the Party and there was no problem with his leadership. “We are going to fight the next Assembly election under his leadership,” he asserted.
In this connection, the presence of the State Transport Minister is curious as he is said to have been despatched by Sri Gogoi to keep an eye. His services was used by the Chief Minister once earlier when a rebellious group of Congressmen had stationed themselves gunning for Ranee Narah’s head. It was left to smooth-talking Sri Dutta to persuade the recalcitrant Congressmen to head back home.