Himanta set to start second term as CM

The stage is set for Himanta Biswa Sarma to take oath as the chief minister of Assam for a second consecutive term on Tuesday, marking the start of the third consecutive tenure of a BJP-led NDA Government’s in the State.

The swearing-in ceremony at the Veterinary College Field in Khanapara will witness the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and BJP national president Nitin Nabin, along with many NDA CMs.

Governor of Assam, Lakshman Prasad Acharya, who on Sunday appointed Sarma as the CM, will administer the oath of office the BJP leader and members of the new Council of Ministers at 11.40 am on Tuesday.

Sarma, who first became chief minister in 2021, will be the first non-Congress leader in Assam to serve two consecutive terms as CM. This will be the NDA’s third consecutive term in the State since the BJP-led alliance first came to power in 2016 under then CM Sarbananda Sonowal.

The massive election victory follows a campaign fought on ‘identity, land and security’ — including eviction drives and curbing illegal immigration.

Echoing this on Monday, Sarma posted on X: “Assam’s land, identity and future are non-negotiable. After freeing 1.5 lakh bighas land from encroachment, #NDA3.0 moves ahead with a firm resolve to reclaim 5 lakh more bighas for the people of Assam. Because for us, Jati, Mati, Bheti comes first.”

The NDA, comprising the BJP, Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and Bodoland People’s Front (BPF), secured a sweeping mandate in the Assembly polls, winning a record 102 seats in the 126-member House. The BJP alone bagged 82, its first single-party majority in the state, while AGP and BPF won 10 seats each. Former Union minister Rameshwar Teli, Atul Borah, Charan Boro and Ajanta Neog are also likely to be sworn in alongside Sarma.