The All India Congress Committee has asked the party's ministers and legislators in Assam to declare their personal assets before Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi.

The step is part of the Congress' effort to salvage the image of the ruling party, in the wake of the arrest of former education minister Ripun Bora by the Central Bureau of Investigation, while he was trying to bribe an official.

Veerappa Moily, the Congress leader in charge of Assam, told mediapersons that though  there was no provision in the Constitution to make it mandatory for ministers and Members of Legislative Assembly to declare their assets, all party ministers and legislators in Assam would have to do so before Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, who in turn will submit it to the AICC.

"We will compare the current statements declaring personal assets, to those submitted by the ministers and MLAs to the Election Commission, just before the last Assembly election," he said.

However, the AICC leader declined to make any comments on Bora, saying that the case was now sub-judice. Moily pointed out that the party had already relieved him of his ministerial portfolio and suspended him. Further action, if any, will be taken after the court pronounces its verdict in the case.

Speaking on the ongoing political stand-off between the United Progressive Alliance and the Left Front, he said the Congress had not lost hope about the India-United States nuclear agreement. According to Moily, the nuclear deal held the key to the supply of nuclear fuel to India.

He exuded confidence that the UPA government would last its full term despite the Left's threat of withdrawing support. He said the Left had decided to support the UPA government to keep communal forces at bay.

"Is the Left now serving the very purpose for which it decided to support our government?" Moily asked.