Cong. gets down to business

By Our Special Correspondent

GUWAHATI, MAY 14. The Assam Chief Minister, Mr. Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, met the Governor, Lt. Gen. (retd) S. K. Sinha, here this morning and submitted the resignation of his Cabinet, following the defeat of his own party and the AGP-BJP-ABSU-ASDC(U) alliance headed by him.

The Governor accepted his resignation, but asked Mr. Mahanta to continue till the new ministry was sworn in.

Meanwhile, having swept the polls, the Congress today got down to the business of government formation. Its State president and Chief Minister-designate, Mr. Tarun Gogoi, said the newly-elected party MLAs would meet on Wednesday and formally elect him leader of the ACLP.

The party would then intimate the Governor of the election and stake claim to form the government.

Mr. Gogoi held informal discussions with his senior colleagues about the size and composition of his ministry today, it was learnt. Though Mr. Gogoi said he intended making his Cabinet a small one, sources hinted it might not be actually possible because the claims of different communities and areas, particularly where the Congress did well, would have to be accommodated.

Knowledgeable sources said the Cabinet would be a ``balanced mix'' of old and new members. Many talented young Congressmen had been elected this time and they would have to be given ministerial berths, they said.

House sans Left

Results of 123 of the 125 Assembly constituencies that went to the polls (election in one constituency was countermanded following the murder of a candidate) are now available.

Repolling is due in some booths of Sipajhar constituency, while in Silchar, repolling as well as recounting of votes are due in some booths.

For the first time there will be no Left members in the State Assembly. There were three CPI and two CPI(M) members in the to- be-dissolved House.

The Chief Minister lost to his Congress rival in Dispur but won from his home constituency of Barhampur in Nagaon. Ten Ministers of the Mahanta Cabinet, including the Flood Control Minister, Mr. Promode Gogoi, of the CPI and the Irrigation Minister, Mr. Abdul Muhib Mazdumdar, of the UPPA, lost. The Speaker, Mr. Ganesh Kutum, and the Deputy Speaker, Mrs. Renupama Rajkhowa, were defeated by their Congress rivals.

Final party position:

Total: 123 seats (The figures in brackets denote the seats won by the parties in the 1996 elections.)

Congress - 71 (36)(+35); AGP - 19 (63)(-44); BJP - 7 (4)(+3); ABSU - 9; ASDC(U) - 2 (5 won by the undivided ASDC)(-3); NCP - 3; Samata - 1; TMC - 1 (Trinamool Congress); TGP - 1 (Trinamool Gana Parishad), SP - 2 (Samajwadi Party); Independents - 7.

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Section  : State Elections
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