Assam health minister Sarma resign

Guwahati, June 15: Assam Health and Education Minister Dr Himanta Sarma today met Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and offered to resign from the Cabinet even as he said that the dissidence in the Congress Legislature Party had come to an end.

"I met the chief minister for one-and-a-half hours and expressed my desire to resign from my minister's post to make way for others whenever he reshuffles his Cabinet," Sarma, regarded as the leader of the dissident Congress MLAs in Assam, told reporters following his meeting with Gogoi.

"I have not submitted a written resignation to the chief minister but have just expressed a desire to do so. I don't want to create a crisis by submitting a written resignation. Don't want to create an unnecessary situation," he said.

"I also informed him that the 46 (dissident) MLAs last night had a meeting where it was decided that dissidence had ended and all MLAs will cooperate with the chief minister and not demand a change in the CLP leadership," Sarma further added.

Asked what the chief minister's reaction was to his decision to resign, Sarma said, "I did not wait to hear what he had to say. It is up to him when he accepts my resignation ... today, one week or two months later.

"I had earlier on May 25 said that sacrifices are necessary for the government to function well. So, I expressed a desire to resign. Till he (Gogoi) does not accept my resignation, I'll continue to work with him. All the MLAs will also go back to their constituencies to work there," he said.

"The state of paralysis on the part of the government for the last several days has been solved and the High Command's decision will be accepted on the leadership change issue," the minister added. "I told him (Gogoi) that my post will be vacant for being filled up by someone else and work will continue as usual," he said.

PTI