GUWAHATI, Nov 26 � The Congress High Command is very much upset with the New Delhi visit of ten dissident MLAs loyal to Himanta Biswa Sarma, claimed highly placed sources in Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi's camp here today.
The dissident MLAs have been camping in New Delhi in support of their demand for implementation of the report submitted by senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge on the issue of change in the State�s Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leadership.
Sources in the Gogoi camp today told this newspaper that the Congress High Command had earlier asked the dissident MLAs not to visit New Delhi on the CLP leadership issue. The Kharge Committee report was rejected by the Congress High Command. The party High Command is in favour of continuation of Tarun Gogoi as the Assam CLP leader, claimed the sources in the Gogoi camp.
The dissident MLAs, who, according to the sources, include Pradan Barua, Bolin Chetia, Rajen Sahu, Piyush Hazarika, Jayanta Malla Barua, Gautam Bora, Pallav Lochan Das, Abu Taher Bepari, Dr Mansingh Rongpi and Binanda Saikia, have met Congress MP Kamal Nath and Congress president Sonia Gandhi�s political secretary Ahmed Patel, requesting implementation of the Kharge Committee report. But they have been asked to return to Assam and work for the party keeping in view the 2016 Assembly elections in the State, said the sources in the Gogoi camp.
The mobilisation of ten MLAs by Himanta Biswa Sarma in support of change in the CLP leadership, is viewed by the Congress High Command as a signal of the Sarma camp to the Sangh Parivar � Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangha (RSS) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) � that Sarma still enjoys the support of ten MLAs, sources in the Gogoi camp said.
Going by the present sentiments in the party high-ups, it is apparent that these dissident MLAs may not be nominated by the Congress as its candidates to fight the next Assembly elections on its tickets.
