Mahanta govt in dire straits as senior aides go on leave

While Jafa has handed over temporary charge of his office to Additional Chief Secretary Pranab Kumar Bora, no officer has been designated to look after the Chief Minister’s office till today. Das went on leave with effect from Wednesday, while Jafa followed suit a day later. There was however no official explanation to the two officers going on leave except for an one-word reason that it was a “routine” affair, but it is a fact wellknown that both of them have left, at least temporarily following a unanimous demand from several senior ministers in the government.

In fact the developments date back to one day after the polls, held in Assam on February 16, when several senior ministers including Digen Bora, Minister for Food and Civil Supplies, offering to quit if the Chief Minister’s special secretary and commissioner C K Das was not removed immediately. Their question was that Das, as the Chief Minister’s most trusted officer had wielded power beyond his limit and was even transferring departmental officers without consulting the respective ministers.

The ministers had subsequently withdrawn their officer to quit following an assurance by Chief Minister Mahanta that a decision would be taken after the election process was over.

Unconfirmed reports however said that while Das proceeded on leave following the demand of the ministers, Chief Secretary Jafa had left sensing trouble including the possibility of the new government atthe Centre dismissing the AGP-led government.

Local newspapers on their part have often described Jafa as the Centre’s man in the Assam government, who had put Mahanta into many an embarrassment.