Even as a group of about 17 dissident MLAs left for New Delhi on Monday to meet Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi said that he was going to seek permission to reshuffle his council of ministers.
Mr Gogoi, however, said an approval from the party high command was required to reshuffle his council of ministers. “I am going to request the party high command for approval to make changes in the council of ministers,” Mr Gogoi told reporters. “They are free to meet Congress president and other central party leadership for their grievances but they should refrain from giving statement in the media,” said Mr Gogoi who is also scheduled to visit New Delhi on Tuesday. Mr Gogoi claimed that there was some dissatisfaction among the legislators but it was because the party has grown. “We can accommodate only 18 MLAs in the council of ministers whereas party has 79 legislators,” said Mr Gogoi.
Earlier, dissident leader and first time MLA Jayanta Malla Baruah and Rekibuddin Ahmed told reporters that they are leaving for New Delhi to meet central leadership to take up their grievances. “We had conveyed our grievances to the state leadership which failed to address it,” said Mr Ahmed, informing that another group of 12 legislators led by Chandan Sarkar is leaving for New Delhi later in the evening.