The Hindu : National : I leave it to high command: Gogoi

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Wednesday, Apr 19, 2006

National

National

I leave it to high command: Gogoi

Special Correspondent

`Not in the race for chief ministership'

Tarun Gogoi

Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Tuesday said that he was not in the race for the next chief ministership but was ready to take up the responsibility for another term if called by the high command.

``Never lobbied''

"I am not in the race for the post of Chief Minister. I had never lobbied to become Chief Minister or for any position in the party," Mr. Gogoi told reporters reacting to reports in a section of the media that PCC president Bhubaneswar Kalita and several other senior Congress leaders were in the race for chief ministership in the event of the Congress coming back to power.

Reiterating his claim that the Congress would come back to power on its own, he said that he had never learnt the politics of manipulation and lobbying. Asked if he had any inclination to become a Governor, Mr. Gogoi said he had no such aspiration.

He admitted that he had differences with party leaders on many occasions.

He was referring to differences with the PCC president on the issue of taking support from the Assam United Democratic Front (AUDF), a conglomerate of minority organisations for forming the next government in the event of the Congress falling short of the magic number of 64 in the 126-member Assembly.

No support from AUDF

"I will never take support from the AUDF for forming the government. I am against any alliance with the AUDF. Mr. Kalita may have a different opinion. It is his personal view. The final decision will be taken by the high command," Mr. Gogoi said and hinted that the Congress, if required, would take the support of the Hagrama Mahillary-led Bodoland People's Progressive Front (BPPF).

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