Top Assam Minister Quits as Dissent against Congress Grows

Guwahati: A top Congress leader from Assam has quit the cabinet of Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, underscoring the raging crisis for the party as it confronts deep dissent in one of the few states where it is in power.

Himanta Biswa Sarma, who resigned as Assam Health & Education Minister, tweeted "I have decided not to compromise with my conscience any more." At a press conference later, the leader, seen as spearheading the revolt against Mr Gogoi, denied that he harbours ambitions to be installed as the Chief Minister himself. "We want to save the party. I am not a chief ministerial candidate so this is not a personal thing," he said, claiming that he has the support of more than 40 of the Congress party's 78 state legislators.

"No one can work under Gogoi mentally, physically anymore," Mr Sarma insisted, though he accepted that the Congress' central command has made it clear that Mr Gogoi, 78, will not be replaced as Chief Minister. "We will allow the government to function," the dissenter said, vowing to serve, with other rebels, as "a constructive opposition." Sources said Mr Sarma and those in his camp have backed away from a plan to force a trust vote on Mr Gogoi in the hope of proving he no longer enjoys a majority in the state assembly.

Mr Gogoi who is serving his third term as Chief Minister, led his party to a comfortable victory in the last state elections in 2011. But growing divides within the party leapfrogged after the Congress was trounced in the national election in May, winning just three of the state's 14 parliamentary seats and inciting a campaign for Mr Gogoi's removal as chief minister. The BJP boosted its tally from three to seven.

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