Congress woes persist with upheaval in Assam

For the Congress, which is still reeling under the impact of its electoral debacle in the Lok Sabha polls, the open dissidence in some of its state units has come as an additional blow.

In Assam, one of the few Congress ruled states, the situation is so grim that 47 MLAs have sided with “rebel” Himanta Biswa Sarma, the state’s Education and Health minister challenging chief minister Tarun Gogoi.

The state was plunged in a crisis since mid May, with both leaders rushing to Delhi to argue their case. However, with Gogoi, apparently still enjoying the trust of the Gandhi family and Sarma not getting his way, Sarma offered to step down as minister on Sunday.

Sarma has however stated that he would continue in office till the next Cabinet reshuffle. There are reports that Gogoi could go in for a reshuffle to accommodate several supporters.        

Things had come to a head, soon after May 16, when there was open rebellion in the Assam PCC with Sarma claiming the support of 47 MLAs, demanding the ouster of Tarun Gogoi. To diffuse the crisis, the Central leadership had constituted a committee with AICC observer Ghulam Nabi Azad, general secretary in-charge of Assam CP Joshi and Motilal Vora.

With MLAs in both camps, the pro-Gogoi and pro-Sarma camps, refusing to blink, the stalemate in the Pradesh Congress continues.

A senior AICC leader admitted, “All this dissidence is harming the party immensely and the BJP is gaining at our expense. As it is the BJP has made major inroads into the state and several of our party workers are also making a beeline for the BJP.”

In the faction ridden Assam Congress unit, an emboldened BJP would further wreak havoc on an already depleted Congress, if its fails to get its house in order soon.