Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday took oath as the chief minister of Assam for a second consecutive term following the Bharatiya Janata Party-led alliance’s sweeping victory in the Assembly elections.
The 57-year-old leader was administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya at a ceremony held at the Khanapara Veterinary Ground in Guwahati.
Four ministers sworn in
Alongside Sarma, four ministers also took oath as members of the new cabinet. They include Rameshwar Teli and Ajanta Neog from the Bharatiya Janata Party, as well as Atul Bora from the Asom Gana Parishad and Charan Boro from the Bodoland Peoples Front.
Teli previously served as a Union minister, while Neog was the finance minister in the outgoing government. Bora and Boro were also part of the previous BJP-led administration.
Top BJP leaders attend ceremony
The swearing-in event was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, among several other senior leaders.
BJP alliance secures massive mandate
The BJP registered a landslide victory in the May 4 Assembly elections, winning 82 seats in the 126-member Assembly. Its allies AGP and BPF secured 10 seats each, taking the alliance tally to 102.
In comparison, the Indian National Congress won 19 seats, while its ally Raijor Dal secured two. The All India United Democratic Front and All India Trinamool Congress won two and one seat respectively.
On Sunday, BJP and alliance MLAs formally elected Sarma as their legislative party leader, following which he staked claim to form the government.
The BJP first came to power in Assam in 2016, ending 15 years of Congress rule. The party retained power again in 2021 and has now secured a third straight term in the state.
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