Gogoi in a mood to reshuffle cabinet

Assam Chief minister Tarun Gogoi is in a mood to reshuffle his council of ministers a year after his government retained power for the third consecutive term. According to the insiders, the reshuffle is likely to take place just before May 18. The chief minister is likely to axe two of his cabinet fellows to make way for two popular MLAs.
With this exercise, Gogoi is trying to give a stern message to a circle of his ministers who have been lobbying in New Delhi to get him as vice president.

“Gogoi is scheduled to go to New Delhi on May 12 again and meet Sonia Gandhi to finalise the ministry reshuffle," said a senior party leader. After getting a nod for the reshuffle from Sonia Gandhi, the chief minister is likely to ask for resignations from all his ministers before forming a new team.

The current ministry has 18 members from the Congress, including Gogoi. Transport minister Chandan Brahma is a member of Congress' ally, BPF. Seven of these Congress ministers have been in the ministry for all the three terms of Congress's rule. There are more than nine other Congress MLAs who have been winning the last three elections but have not yet been able to find a place in the ministry.