M A I N   N E W S

Tarun Gogoi to be Assam CM

Guwahati, May 16
Senior Congress leader and PCC president Tarun Gogoi, who steered his party to a massive victory in Assam, will be the new Chief Minister after being unanimously chosen today as leader of the Congress Legislature Party.

Mr Gogoi (65), a five times Member of Parliament and former Union Minister, was chosen at a meeting attended by all 70 newly-elected Congress MLAs, including Mr Bhubaneswar Kalita, who yesterday indicated his chief ministerial inclination.

Mr Gogoi’s name was proposed by the MLAs and approved by Congress President Sonia Gandhi, who was contacted over phone by central leaders Kamal Nath and Jagdish Tytler present at the meeting.

Mr Kamal Nath said there was no dissidence in the Assam Congress as reported in the media and Mr Kalita, who was reported to be a contender for the CLP leadership, had extended his support to the unanimous decision. “The APCC is united and there is no dissension,” he said.

Shortly after his election, Mr Gogoi left for New Delhi for consultations with Mrs Gandhi for ministry making.

“The new government will be sworn in as soon as the formalities of the election process are completed by May 18,” Mr Gogoi told newsmen.

He called on the Governor, Lieut-Gen S. K. Sinha (retd) last night and discussed matters relating to the formation of his government.

The CLP leader said he would work to provide a stable government and solve the insurgency problem for the development of the state.

Stating that he was for a dialogue with militants for a political and economic solution to the insurgency problem, he said, “We will ensure that there is no more violence.” Mr Gogoi said the new government under him would also give priority to solving the unemployment problem. PTI

Jaya to back Cong-TMC govt in Pondy

Chennai, May 16
Decks have been cleared for the formation of a Congress-TMC coalition government in Pondicherry with outside support from the AIADMK.

In the 30-member territorial Assembly, the Congress has 11 members, the TMC two and the AIADMK three.

AIADMK General Secretary and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalitha formally assured her party’s support to the Congress-TMC combine when Congress Working Committee member Pranab Mukherjee called on her and sought her party’s support to form a government.

The Congress and the TMC contested the May 10 election as allies, while the AIADMK and the PMK opposed the combine as also the DMK-led NDA. UNI