This story is from September 28, 2014

Gogoi to rejig cabinet after Puja

Chief minister Tarun Gogoi is set to revamp his council of ministers immediately after Durga Puja. At least four new faces, one for each vacancy, are expected
Gogoi to rejig cabinet after Puja
GUWAHATI: Chief minister Tarun Gogoi is set to revamp his council of ministers immediately after Durga Puja. At least four new faces, one for each vacancy, are expected.
A source close to Gogoi on Saturday said the CM had twice changed his plans to reshuffle the ministry; once before the budget session in July, and again before byelections to three assembly constituencies in September.
“This time, he will reshuffle his cabinet after Durga puja,” the source added.
Gogoi is ooking at MLAs who are loyal to him and who don’t have any criminal antecedents.
The vacancies were created after the resignation of former health and education minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and sacking of Siddique Ahmed (border area development) and Ardhendu Dey (irrigation and soil conservation) for their role in an anti-Gogoi campaign headed by Sarma. The fourth vacancy was caused when transport minister Chandan Brahma resigned after BPF pulled out of its alliance with Congress.
Gogoi, who steered his party through the dissidence crisis recently, is buying time as he needs to strike a balance between MLAs who are loyal to him and those who don’t have criminal cases against them.
“After the Supreme Court asked the Prime Minister and chief ministers last month to refrain from inducting people with criminal antecedents and those with charges against them, the chief minister announced “with immense pride” that there are no tainted ministers in his council. He certainly wouldn’t want to deviate from this,” the source pointed out.
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