Assam to get new political epicentre

GUWAHATI: Assam’s political epicentre is all set to change, as the state’s new chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal has decided to not move into the official residence

Published on: May 23, 2016, 13:13:13 IST

By Rahul Karmakar

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GUWAHATI: Assam’s political epicentre is all set to change, as the state’s new chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal has decided to not move into the official residence of former chief minister Tarun Gogoi.

The BJP leader will call shots from the MLA Hostel, situated within the Dispur Capital Complex, which also houses the state assembly and the secretariat.

Since the 1980s, no Assam chief minister has stayed in the official residence of his predecessor. Sonowal has decided to stay true to the tradition and not check into the eight-suite hilltop bungalow, which Gogoi called home during his 15-yeartenure as CM.

Meg hal ayah as maintained that the bungalow, which will now become the state guest house, is built on disputed territory.

Sonowal re presents the Majauli island constituency located on the Brahmaputra river.

BJP insiders said that Sonowal’s official residence will be called Molokgaon, named after his native village near Chabua in Dibrugarh district. A Sonowal aide said the leader zeroed in on his new residence out of convenience and because of his emotional connect with his native village rather than any superstition.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rahul Karmakar
Rahul Karmakar was part of Hindustan Times’ nationwide network of correspondents that brings news, analysis and information to its readers. He no longer works with the Hindustan Times.

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