Ministry expansion: State Congress on toes

Speaker Prab Kumar Gogoi likely to be shown the door

BY OUR STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI, May 10: With Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi getting the Congress high command’s green sigl to expand his ministry by filling up the four vacant slots, hectic behind-the-scene activities are on in Dispur and Rajiv Bhavan. Parallel to this exercise, State Assembly Speaker Prab Kumar Gogoi may be shown the door by the Gogoi government.

Sources said amid the ministry expansion parleys, Speaker Gogoi suddenly left the city for New Delhi on Sunday, triggering a wave of speculations as to whether he will be removed or not.

When asked by media on the possible removal of the Speaker from his post, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi diplomatically said, “Prab Kumar Gogoi’s future can be predicted only by astrologers and not me,” adding, “Even I can’t say about my future.”

Sources further stated the Chief Minister has already got the approval from the party high command for his ministry’s expansion, and the new faces to be inducted in the State cabinet have been filised. But oath taking is likely to be delayed as the Speaker is presently outside the State, sources added.

“In the upcoming ministry expansion, four vacant positions in the State cabinet will be filled. mes of present Deputy Speaker Bhimanda Tanti, Chaygaon MLA Rekibuddin Ahmed, Tinsukia MLA RP Singh and Thawra MLA Sushanta Buragohain have been filised,” sources added.

Sources said the party high command may ask present Speaker Prab Kumar Gogoi to resign from his post. “In his place, Durlav Chamua is likely to be appointed the new Speaker and Jamaluddin may be appointed as Deputy Speaker of the State Assembly,” sources said.

After the oath taking, portfolios of ministers are again likely to be changed.

It may be mentioned that the relations between the Speaker and the Chief Minister touched a new low in recent times over the filization of Assamese definition issue.

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