No reshuffle in Assam cabinet before Lok Sabha elections: Himanta
New Delhi (IANS). Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has said that there is no need to reshuffle the state cabinet before the next Lok Sabha elections are over.
Sarma told reporters in the national capital on Saturday, “We are not going to do any cabinet reshuffle or expansion till next year’s general elections. However, once the elections are over, there could be a major change in the Council of Ministers in the state.”
The posts of three ministers are vacant in Assam. However, even after more than two years of government formation, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has indicated that there is no rush to fill those vacant posts.
The Chief Minister said that the prospects of the BJP in Assam are very good. People are happy with the work of the government.
Assam has 126 MLAs and according to the rules, there can be a total of 19 ministers including the Chief Minister in the government. However, the state currently has only 16 ministers, some of whom are from BJP’s allies Asom Gana Parishad and United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL).
The chief minister also claimed that there was no resentment among the people over the ongoing delimitation process in the state.
He said, “Only a few people have requested for some minor changes in the draft resolution published by the Election Commission of India (ECI). We have taken it forward. But there is no overall resistance against delimitation in Assam.”
Meanwhile, there were speculations that Assam BJP president Bhabesh Kalita may be dropped and a new face may be introduced ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. Sarma, however, said the party has no plans to replace Kalita before the general elections.
