Guwahati, Jan. 23: Three of the eight ministers dropped by chief minister Tarun Gogoi were missing from today's swearing-in ceremony at Raj Bhavan here.

So was Himanta Biswa Sarma, former minister who had unsuccessfully tried to oust Gogoi, and his close aides. Party insiders are seeing their absence as a reflection of the disquiet within the CLP over the exercise.

Apart from the chief minister, the 14 MLAs who took oath of office as ministers, Assam PCC president Anjan Dutta, former ministers Pradyut Bordoloi, Prithibi Majhi, Tanka Bahadur Rai, Rajib Lochan Pegu and Nilamani Sen Deka, only six other MLAs, including Robin Bordoloi, Rekibuddin Ahmed, Ilias Ali, Susanta Buragohain, Debabrata Saikia and R.P. Singh were present.

The Congress has 78 MLAs in the 126-member House.

The dropped ministers who were absent are Pranati Phukan, Akon Bora and Gautam Roy. Parliamentary secretaries Pradan Barua, Mansingh Rongpi and Raju Sahu, too, did not make it but were present at Himanta's residence around the time the swearing-in took place.

Party insiders pointed to the thin attendance and the reaction of those who did not make it or the other dropped ministers, to convey the disquiet. Baruah said he had not received any invitation while Sahu said he was delayed because of the ACMS election last night. Sarma had, however, tweeted yesterday, congratulating the new ministers and feeling bad for those axed.

Bora and Sarma's constituencies fall within greater Guwahati.

Phukan said she had informed Gogoi about her unavailability when she submitted her resignation. 'And it's not mandatory to be present,' she said from her constituency Naharkatia. Bora said he was indisposed. Roy could not be contacted but sources said he was in Calcutta.

Party insiders said the reshuffle had the blessings of the Congress high command and has been carried out on the criteria mutually decided by the chief minister, PCC president Anjan Dutta and AICC general secretary in-charge of Assam, C.P. Joshi.

'As such there is no point sulking about the entire exercise,' said a very senior leader, responding to the disquiet in certain party quarters. But most leaders also hoped the party leadership will try to keep its flock together and look into the absence.

Former agriculture minister Nilamani Sen Deka, who turned up at the Durbar Hall late, said he has doubts whether the new ministers would be able to do justice to their jobs in such a short time before the 2016 Assembly polls. 'But I have no complaints against the chief minister as it is his prerogative,' he said.

Former minister Prithibi Majhi said, 'I am a loyal soldier of the party. I regret I could not complete some projects because of my removal.'

Gogoi, while admitting resentment was natural among those who had been dropped, said, 'They will be engaged suitably to carry out their service for the government and the party.'