Assam dissident minister says will obey high command

Facing allegation of spearheading dissidence against Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, state Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma today asserted he was a loyal party worker and will abide by directives of the Congres high command.
"I have been working with the chief minister for the last 12 years. Now at this stage, I do not want to join issues with him, more so when we have the elections for the Guwahati Municipal Corporation scheduled on June 19 next," Sarma said today on Twitter.
The chief minister had yesterday said at a press conference that Sarma was behind dissident activities of a section of Congress MLAs as he wanted to be the Chief Minister.

"Himanta wants to be the CM.... Earlier I had good relations with him, but not now. However, even if he is campaigning against me, I enjoy a very good personal rapport with him," Gogoi had said.
Sarma, however, went on to tweet that his views on current political situation are known to "my party high command and I will go by their instructions."
"It will be, however, oversimplification if we presume that so many MLAs are meeting party leadership to make someone the Chief Minister," he said.

There must be some "genuine problem confronted by most of our MLAs. I am sure our party will address these issues in its own way," he added.

"We are loyal Congress workers and we have no personal ambition save and except strengthening the party and we need to get 12 out of the 14 seats in the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls," the minister said.
Sarma, Gogoi's once close confidante further said, "we all are dedicated to the ideals of Gandhi-Nehru and committed to make Assam a front-ranking state in days to come.