The Sarbananda Sonowal-led Bharatya Janata Party (BJP) government might have tried to woo everyone with the ministry expansion, but there are BJP leaders who are discontent with the reshuffle.
Following the first expansion of the ministry in Assam on Thursday, some of the party leaders expressed their disappointment at being ignored in the expansion.
BJP’s firebrand MLA from Dibrugarh Assembly Constituency, Prasanta Phukan, resigned from the post of the chairman of BJP’s steering committee for panchayat election. He also resigned from the position of the chairman of the Assam Medical College & Hospital (AMCH) management committee. He has tendered resignations from five vital committees he was associated with.
Phukan said, “I resigned from these posts because I felt that if I am not eligible to be a minister then I am also not eligible to handle such huge responsibilities.”
He also revealed that he has perhaps been sidelined as he has no backing. According to Phukan, in politics, seniority and experience are not among the considerations.
Phukan is one of the senior most BJP leaders in Assam and has been working for the saffron party since a long time.
BJP MLA from Sonai constituency in Barak Valley, Aminul Haque Laskar, is also not happy as he has not been inducted in the ministry. He was expecting a berth in the ministry as a representative of the minority community. After the ministry expansion he has resigned from the Haj Committee.
Morigaon BJP MLA and former Chief Executive Member (CEM) of the Tiwa Autonomous Council, Rama Kanta Dewri is not happy at the new ministry expansion.
The All Tiwa Students’ Union, All Tiwa Mahita Union, Tiwa Yuva-Chatra Parishad, Tiwa Mahila Kalyan Parishad, Jatiya Aikya Mancha, Koch-Rajbongshi Students’ Union, Chutia Jati Yuva Sanmilan, Koch-Rajbongshi Sanmilani and Chutia Jati Sanmilan have called for a 12-hour Assam Bandh from 5 am to 5 pm on Friday in protest against Dewri being ignored in the ministry expansion.
A supporter of Rama Kanta Dewri said, “This cannot be tolerated and we will give the reply during the upcoming 2019 Lok Sabha elections.”
Many senior BJP leaders are upset with the BJP leadership for inducting Pijush Hazarika in the ministry on the grounds of him being very new in the party while neglecting senior BJP leaders like Prasanta Phukan and Atul Bora.
Dispur MLA Atul Bora was also expecting a ministerial berth but after being ignored he said, “Seniors in the party should not be made to feel alienated.” He hinted that new entrants (Pijush Hazarika) to the party are being inducted but seniors are being ignored.
With 126 seats in the state assembly, Assam can have 19 ministers at the most along with the chief minister. One post is still vacant and it would be tough for the party to decide who should be appointed to that post.
BJP sources said that it was this fear of rift because of which the ministry expansion had been kept on hold, and now, after the expansion, many people remain displeased.