The 10-day-long standoff between Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi and his health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma came to an end on Saturday with the minister resuming duty following the intervention of the AICC.
Earlier, Mr Sarma, who was out of station, arrived here on Friday and went straight to call on Mr Gogoi at his residence on Friday night. What transpired in the meeting was not known but sources in the chief minister’s office said that the minister expressed his willingness to withdraw his resignation to resume office, which he was not attending since August 15.
Though the high-profile minister refused to say anything to reporters, he thanked his friends on Twitter, saying, “My special thanks and gratitude to all my friends who stood by me and encouraged me during last 10 days.”
He said, “I do not have phone number of all of you to thank you personally.”
Mr Sarma, who submitted his resignation to Mr Gogoi and the AICC on August 15, in another tweet said, “I shall work hard and make sure that trust of you all is reposed on me.” Congress insiders said that AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh, who is also the in-charge of Assam, had advised the minister to withdraw his resignation in the interest of the party.
Congress insiders said that both Mr Gogoi and PCC president Bhubaneswar Kalita were consulted as the AICC general secretary mediated to resolve the impasse.
It is learnt that Mr Sarma was told to resume office in the wake of trouble afflicting the Bodoland Territorial Council.
Congress insiders, however, said the chief minister was not happy over the behaviour of the minister whom he patronised all along and gave a free hand in running the state administration.
Mr Gogoi, who refused to make any comment on the standoff, was opposed to the idea of giving more leverage to the high-handed behaviour but he subsequently agreed to the pleas of the AICC.