After Himanta's arrival, city turns a political hotbed

"If the party opts to follow a straight course, it will be benefited immensely, but if the party wants to ske its way it will have to suffer much," Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

Our Bureau

GUWAHATI/MIRZA, July 12: With the arrival of former minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in Guwahati from Delhi today, the city seems to a hotbed of hush-hush political activities in the Congress, the ruling party at Dispur.

Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Anjan Dutta and former minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had to meet All India Congress Committee (AICC) vice president Rahul Gandhi at his residence on July 8. The trio from Assam was summoned by the AICC leader to have a closed-door meeting with them. While the Chief Minister and the APCC president opted return to the State earlier, Sarma came today.

Gogoi and Dutta refrained from disclosing what was discussed at the closed-door meeting, so did Sarma while talking to newsmen at Lokapriya Gopith Bordoloi Intertiol Airport (LGBI) today. 

Talking to newsmen at the airport, Sarma said: "I don't want to lid-off what was discussed at the closed-door meeting with Rahul Gandhi. However, the issues discussed will come to the fore in due course of time. I, however, want to say with precision that if the matters discussed at the meeting are implemented on the ground here in Assam, the party will get a boost. The discussion and the ambience were quite positive."

The former minister, however, gave a hint that was enough to keep the media in a suspense and feel that what Sarma said as 'positive discussion' could just be the tip of the iceberg. "If the party opts to follow a straight course, it will be benefited immensely, but if the party wants to ske its way it will have to suffer much," Sarma said.

A section of political pundits in the State refuses to take this statement from Sarma as a blank fire though they are not sure who the target person is.   

Meanwhile, in a related development Ra Khan, who had quit the Congress recently, fired a volley of questions at the Chief Minister, as though he was waiting for the arrival of Himanta Biswa Sarma in the State.  

Khan said: "Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has to make it crystal clear if he is going to fight the Assembly elections in 2016? If yes, if he is going to lead the party from the front? If the party is allowed to move ahead the way it is going now, it will never make it to Dispur in 2016."

Targeting his gun on Dutta, Khan said: "Rahul Gandhi summoned only the Chief Minister, you and Himanta Biswa Sarma. What made you take APCC general secretary Diganta Choudhury to Rahul Gandhi's residence along with you?"

According to sources, the leaders who have quit the Congress recently are set to hold a meeting in Guwahati on July 26 to chalk out their future course of action. This move from the Congress deserters has made Himanta Biswa Sarma the focus of all eyes.  

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