Heat on Gogoi as reshuffle delay irks Congress workers

Guwahati: Chief minister Tarun Gogoi returned from New Delhi on Wednesday without getting sanctions from the AICC to reshuffle and fill up vacancies in the ministry. This has irked Congress workers in the state who think that the party’s interests have been ignored.
“This is a crucial period…just about a year for assembly election and a fresh look to the ministry would have given a boost to the morale of workers,” said a senior party man.
Party workers are blaming the highhandedness of Gogoi and AICC general secretary CP Joshi, who is in-charge of the state, for the delay in reshuffling the ministry. The standoff remained even after Gogoi met Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday evening, which has raised doubts that Joshi might be acting tough on his choices with Gandhi’s backing.
At the centre of the impasse is dissidence that has been plaguing the government for nearly two years now. A source said Joshi wants at least three new faces in the ministry but an ‘adamant’ Gogoi is refusing to bend. Gogoi said, “There is difference with CP Joshi. The list (of ministers) is not yet ready.”
“Three new faces that the chief minister is opposing have been dissidents. But the general feeling among workers is that this is the time for strengthening the party and not infighting. A ministry with new and young faces, irrespective of camps (dissidents or Gogoi loyalists), would be the most ideal situation. The party would have received the much-needed boost,” the source said.
The Modi effect is still haunting Congressmen six months after the Lok Sabha elections and party workers now feel that the party may lose ground. In October, Gogoi had declared that the reshuffle will take place in November.
At present, the government is functioning without minister in-charges of four departments, which include health, education, transport, tourism, irrigation and border affairs. These departments have been allocated to other ministers as additional charges.