Rebel Assam Minister may get the boot

GUWAHATI, Nov 12: Assam Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta is likely to drop Supply Minister Digen Bora for his alleged outburst against ...

GUWAHATI, Nov 12: Assam Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta is likely to drop Supply Minister Digen Bora for his alleged outburst against the party leadership and the head of the Asom Gana Parishad-led Government in the State.

The stage for action against Bora, till recently one of Mahanta’s most trusted lieutenants, has been set, with the AGP Legislature Party (LP) taking exception to the Minister’s outrage and referring the issue last night to the party’s Steering Committee.

Mahanta, however, refused to accept the developments as a crisis in his 30-month-old Government, which has seen several such outbursts by senior ministers in the recent past.

Over the last fortnight, Bora has openly accused Mahanta of obstructing action against the City’s business community in matters relating to hoarding, price rise and scarcity of essential commodities.

Bora, known for his caustic speech against opponents, had termed the issue of raids as a “war” between the business community and the Assamese people,which provoked Mahanta to decry his utterances.

But the Supply Minister did not give up easily, and went to the Press, saying, “If Mahanta was sounding the conch, then I too am ready with my bow and arrows.”

The AGP LP members were unanimous in their view that no party member should go to the Press, but get contentious issues resolved in the party forum. The Supply Minister, who was in his constituency Dhing in Nagaon district over the week, however, attended the opening day of the State Assembly’s winter session here today, but did not stay back for refreshments offered by the Speaker after the inauguration.

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He also refused to talk to the press and drove straight to his quarters after the House adjourned for the day. Bora’s friction with Mahanta began a few months ago with a speech in which he said there was no leader worth the name in Assam except Hiteswar Saikia.

On November 5, Bora complained that the Kamrup district administration had not cooperated with him when he ordered raids onbusinessmen’s premises in Facybazar, the commercial hub of the State.

He also indicated that the district administration had refused to help him at Mahanta’s behest and complained that he failed to get the CM’s backing, “at a time when he had waged war” on behalf of the Assamese people against the business community.

Bora is the fifth Minister in the AGP-led Government to have confronted the CM thus. While three ministers, including a minister of State were dropped following their outbursts, the fourth, Education Minister Thaneswar Boro, backtracked within days of raising a revolt in May this year, and was given additional responsibilities thereafter.