Within a month Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi formed his Cabinet, infighting has broke out with a former chief minister and senior most Congress leader accusing a minister of securing cabinet berth by using “money power”.
The problem started when agriculture minister Nilmani Sen Deka accused former chief minister Dr Bhumidhar Barman of indulging in backbiting that led to his defeat in 2006.
Mr Deka who went on accusing the people of Lower Assam area of getting easily influenced by “money power” however said that such backbiting was prevalent in all the political parties including his Congressparty.
Mr Deka made this remark while addressing a gathering of his party workers at Bongaigaon.
Soon after Mr Deka’s observations, the senior most Congress leader Dr Barman who was denied ministerial berth by Mr Gogoi reacted to a local news channel and said, “I am going to lodge a formal complaint to PCC and chief minister for such absurd remark of Mr Deka.”
He said, “I was assured of cabinet berth and even media had reported my na-me in this list but suddenly my name was removed and Mr Deka’sname came in.”
Dr Barman went on to say, “People say that money power played significant role in Mr Deka’s entry into the council of ministers. I don’t know exactly what transpired in those last moment but some hidden power was instrumental in my non-inclusion into the Cabinet.”