Assam's Himanta Biswa Sarma Takes Oath as Chief Minister for Second Consecutive Term

Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday took oath as the Chief Minister of Assam for a second consecutive term, days after the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) secured a decisive mandate in the state. The swearing-in ceremony was held at the Veterinary College ground in Khanapara, Guwahati, in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, and other senior leaders. Representatives and dignitaries from the country and abroad were also present. Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya administered the oath of office to Sarma, who at 57 has become the first non-Congress leader in Assam to serve as Chief Minister for a second consecutive term. The BJP won 82 seats in the 126-member Assam Legislative Assembly in the recent elections. Its allies, the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and Bodoland People’s Front (BPF), secured 10 seats each, taking NDA’s total tally in the state to 102 seats. Sarma, who contested from the Jalukbari constituency, won his seat by a margin of over 89,000 votes. Along with Sarma, BJP leaders Rameswar Teli, Atul Bora, Charan Boro and Ajanta Neog were sworn in as ministers in the new Cabinet. Ahead of the ceremony, Sarma had announced their names in a post on social media, stating that they would be inducted into the Council of Ministers in the presence of the Prime Minister. Senior BJP leader and MLA Ranjit Dass has also been named the NDA’s candidate for the post of Speaker of the Assam Legislative Assembly. This marks the third consecutive term of NDA governance in Assam, which began in 2016 under the then Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal . Security was tightened across Guwahati ahead of the ceremony, with coordinated deployment of central and state forces to ensure smooth conduct of the event.