Himanta Biswa Sarma creates history, takes oath as Assam CM for second straight term after NDA’s massive victory

PTC Web Desk: Senior BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday took oath as the Chief Minister of Assam for a second consecutive term, marking another major political milestone for the BJP-led NDA in the Northeast.

The oath-taking ceremony was held at the Veterinary Ground in Guwahati’s Khanapara area and witnessed the presence of several top BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari and BJP president Nitin Nabin. Chief Ministers and Deputy Chief Ministers from several BJP-ruled states also attended the high-profile event.

Assam Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya administered the oath of office and secrecy to Sarma in front of a huge gathering of party workers, supporters and dignitaries.

Along with Sarma, four ministers were also sworn in. These were senior BJP leaders Rameswar Teli and Ajanta Neog, Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) chief Atul Bora and Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) MLA Charan Boro.

The swearing-in ceremony officially marked the beginning of the BJP-led NDA government’s third straight term in Assam since the alliance first came to power in 2016.

Sarma’s return to office comes after the NDA registered a massive victory in the recently concluded Assam Assembly elections. The alliance won 102 seats in the 126-member Assembly, its best-ever performance in the state. The BJP alone secured 82 seats, crossing the majority mark on its own for the first time in Assam’s political history. Its allies AGP and BPF won 10 seats each.

The victory has further strengthened Sarma’s position as the BJP’s most influential face in the Northeast. Since becoming Chief Minister in 2021 after replacing Sarbananda Sonowal, Sarma has played a key role in expanding the BJP’s footprint across the region.

With Tuesday’s oath-taking, Sarma also became the first non-Congress leader in Assam to serve two consecutive terms as Chief Minister.

Members of Sarma’s family, including his mother Mrinalini Devi, wife Riniki Bhuyan Sharma, son Nandil Biswa Sarma and daughter Sukanya Sarma, were present during the ceremony.

Meanwhile, the Congress stayed away from the swearing-in ceremony. Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi criticised the event, alleging that a constitutional function had been turned into a political show.

The Congress managed to win 19 seats in the Assembly elections, far behind the BJP-led alliance’s dominant tally.