Guwahati: Assam is set to witness the return of Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma as Chief Minister for a second consecutive term after Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya on Sunday invited the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to form the next government in the state.
The development came after NDA leaders led by Chief Minister-designate Himanta Biswa Sarma met the Governor at Lok Bhavan and formally staked claim to form the government with the support of 102 legislators in the 126-member Assam Legislative Assembly.
The alliance strength includes 82 MLAs from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), 10 from the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and 10 from the Bodoland Peoples Front (BPF).
The oath-taking ceremony will be held on May 12 at the Veterinary College Playground in Khanapara, where Sarma and members of his new Council of Ministers will be administered the oath of office and secrecy by the Governor. The ceremony is expected to draw a massive gathering, with lakhs of supporters likely to attend.
Earlier in the day, the BJP Legislature Party meeting was held at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Bhawan in Guwahati, where Sarma was unanimously elected leader of both the BJP Legislature Party and the NDA Legislature Party.
Union Minister and BJP central observer Jagat Prakash Nadda announced Sarma’s election after the meeting, which was attended by Haryana Chief Minister and co-observer Nayab Singh Saini, along with senior BJP and alliance leaders.
Nadda said all BJP legislators unanimously backed Sarma’s leadership through eight resolutions, and the AGP, led by party president Atul Bora, also extended full support to him.
“Backed by the support of 102 MLAs, we have submitted the proposal for government formation before the Governor under the leadership of Himanta Biswa Sarma,” Nadda said.
The meeting was attended by Assam BJP president and MP Dilip Saikia, BJP Assam Pradesh in-charge Harish Dwivedi, state organisational general secretary G.R. Ravindra Raju, AGP president Atul Bora, BTC deputy chief executive member Rihan Daimary and several senior BJP functionaries.
Soon after his unanimous election, Sarma thanked the people of Assam, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, party leaders and alliance partners for reposing faith in him once again.
“On May 12, the NDA Council of Ministers will take oath in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. I request the people of Assam to continue blessing us in the future as well. We aim to take Assam forward and make it one of the most developed states in the country,” Sarma said.
He also said the new government would continue working towards development, good governance and fulfilment of the aspirations of the people of Assam.
For Sarma, the swearing-in marks another major milestone in a political career spanning nearly three decades. From his days in student politics to becoming one of the BJP’s most influential leaders in the Northeast, Sarma has emerged as the central figure in Assam’s contemporary political landscape.
With this, he is set to become only the fourth person in Assam’s history to assume office as Chief Minister for a second consecutive term.
The NDA’s emphatic victory in the Assembly elections is also being viewed as a major endorsement of the BJP-led government’s governance model since coming to power in Assam in 2016.
Sarma thanked the people of Assam, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, party leaders and NDA allies after being unanimously elected leader of the BJP Legislature Party and the NDA alliance.
“On May 12, the NDA Council of Ministers will take oath in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. We seek the continued blessings of the people as we work towards making Assam one of the most developed states in the country,” Sarma said.
He added that the new government remained committed to fulfilling the aspirations of the people and accelerating Assam’s journey towards development, good governance and prosperity.
Assam BJP president Dilip Saikia thanked the people of the state for once again placing their trust in the NDA alliance and said the coming term would further accelerate Assam’s development journey.
Saikia also expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and the BJP’s national leadership for their support and guidance in ensuring the NDA’s return to power in Assam for a third consecutive term.
The swearing-in ceremony on May 12 is expected to be one of the biggest political events in the state in recent years. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, several Union Ministers, and Chief Ministers and Deputy Chief Ministers from 21 BJP- and NDA-ruled states are expected to attend the programme scheduled to begin at 11 am.
Apart from senior political leaders, the event will also witness the participation of RSS office-bearers, BJP booth presidents, elected Panchayat representatives, members of autonomous councils, chairpersons and vice-chairpersons of different boards and corporations, along with leaders and workers from the party and its affiliated organisations.
