I cannot give time to family: Gogoi

Guwahati, Aug 06 (UNI) Asom Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has a problem as he forgets his own marriage anniversary and his wife gets upset.

Mr Gogoi, who stunned the nation by winning Asom for Congress a second term, was at his best when he met the scribes of Guwahati in a ''Meet the press programme'' held at the Guwahati Press Club.

From his love life to student politics, from personal regrets to last wishes, he was unwinding himself in a rare moment and stunned the scribes with candid answers.

He candidly admitted that his biggest regret that he could not give time to the family members they deserved. ''I particularly feel bad about my son Gaurav. My daughter, who is elder to Gaurav, got some attention, but not him. I sometime forget in which class he is.'' The Chief Minister admitted that he used to have fight with his wife in small matters of household like every other family but in most cases, ''I let her win because I know I cannot win.'' ''But she was upset when I forgot the marriage anniversary. How can I remember all these. She told me this morning also I am over taxing myself'' he said. The Chief Minister's wife is a homemaker after quitting a teaching job, which she held more than a decade while they were in New Delhi.

He informed that this period of Chief Ministership he had enjoyed most in his entire political career. ''Because I have seen the turnaround of the state from the brink of bankruptcy to the prosperity and in the entire period I have been the head of the state'' he said.

''I was the Union minister and I was given respect all over the country but that was superficial. The love and respect earned from common Assamese people was much more better,'' he said.

The Chief Minister went on to admit that he had no love interest during his student life as he consciously avoided the girls ''because I wanted to build a political career.'' About his own marriage, he said that he married without actually meeting his future wife. ''When we met officially for the engagement, I thought my bride would be the girl, who was actually accompanying my wife,'' he said amidst the roar of laughter.

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