In absence of a large number of senior Congress legislators, Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi here on Friday expanded his council of ministers by inducting 18 ministers, including eight new faces.
Assam governor J.B. Patnaik administered the oath to 14 Cabinet ministers and four ministers of state with independent charge at ITA Cultural Complex.
The Assam government had organised the oath-taking ceremony outside Raj Bhavan in anticipation of a large turnout of the people at the ceremony. However, majority of the senior Congress legislators, like Dr Bhumidhar Barman, Mr Sarat Barkataky, Mr Anjan Dutta, Mr G.C. Langthasa, Mr Robin Bodoloi, Mr Pradhan Baruah and Mr Bhupen Bora, who could not find a place in the new council of ministers, were conspicuous by their absence. Mr Nilmani Sen Deka, who defeated AGP president Chandramohan Patowary, was among the new faces.
While Mr Deka is believed to have been rewarded with a Cabinet rank, Mr Siddeque Ahmed, Mr Ajit Singh, Mr Basanta Das and Mr Rajiv Lochan Pegu have been made MoS with independent charge. The Speaker and deputy speaker in the last Assembly, Mr Tanka Bahdur Rai and Ms Pranati Phukan, respectively, and former minister in the Hiteswar Saikia ministry Ardhendu Dey are the other new faces in the Cabinet.
Mr Gogoi retained Mr Prithibi Majhi, Mr Gautom Roy, Ms Ajanta Neog, Mr Akon Bora, Mr Himanta Biswa Sarma, Mr Khor Singh Engti, Mr Nazrul Islam, Mr Pradyut Bordoloi and Mr Rockybul Hussain, along with Bodoland People’s Front representative Chandan Brahma, from his last Cabinet.
Prominent among those who were left out in the new Cabinet included Dr Bhumidhar Barman, Mr Pranab Gogoi, Mr Dinesh Prasad Goala and Mr Gautam Bora even after winning their respective seats. Two Cabinet ministers of the last government Bharat Chandra Narah and Nurjamal Sarkar had lost the elections while BPF was given only one place in the Gogoi council of ministers.