Himanta Sarma to take oath today for 2nd term as Assam CM, NDA set for 3rd stint

BJP's Northeast strongman Himanta Biswa Sarma will take oath as Assam chief minister for a second consecutive term along with four ministers on Tuesday, marking the NDA's third straight government in the state.

In Short

• NDA returns to power in Assam; BJP alone secures 82 of 126 seats
• Himanta Biswa Sarma to be sworn in as Chief Minister for second term
• PM Modi to attend oath event; Four ministers to join Sarma's cabinet

The stage is set for the swearing-in of the third BJP-led NDA government in Assam, with the saffron party's Northeast strongman Himanta Biswa Sarma poised to take oath as Chief Minister for a second consecutive term on Tuesday in a high-profile ceremony.

Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya will administer the oath of office and secrecy to Sarma and members of the new Council of Ministers at 11.40 am at the swearing-in event on the outskirts of Guwahati, that the ruling alliance is projecting as a show of political strength and continuity.

The event is expected to witness the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, BJP national president Nitin Nabin and Union minister Sarbananda Sonowal, besides chief ministers and deputy chief ministers from NDA-ruled states.

Sarma, who first assumed office in 2021, will become the first non-Congress leader in Assam to serve two consecutive terms as chief minister. The swearing-in will also mark the BJP-led NDA’s third straight tenure in the state since the alliance first came to power in 2016 under Sonowal.

NDA RETURNS WITH SWEEPING MANDATE

The NDA secured a resounding victory in the recently concluded Assam Assembly elections, winning 102 seats in the 126-member House. The BJP alone won 82 seats, crossing the majority mark on its own for the first time in the state. Alliance partners Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) won 10 seats each.

Alongside Sarma, four ministers are set to take oath on Tuesday, who are senior BJP leaders Rameswar Teli and Ajanta Neog, AGP president Atul Bora and BPF MLA Charan Boro. All except Teli were ministers in the outgoing government.

Sarma also announced that senior BJP MLA Ranjeet Kumar Dass will be the NDA’s candidate for the post of Speaker of the Assam Legislative Assembly. Dass had earlier served as Speaker after the BJP first formed the government in 2016.

LAND, IDENTITY, SECURITY TO REMAIN KEY AGENDA

The Chief Minister-designate said the new government would continue to work for a “stronger, more developed and prosperous Assam”. Following the ceremony, Sarma is expected to unveil the new government’s priorities for the first 100 days, with a strong focus on land rights, eviction drives and development initiatives.

The BJP’s campaign in the assembly elections revolved around the themes of “identity, land and security”, including action against illegal immigration and eviction of alleged encroachers. Reiterating that position ahead of the oath ceremony, Sarma wrote on X that “Assam’s land, identity and future are non-negotiable”.

“After freeing 1.5 lakh bighas land from encroachment, NDA 3.0 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,” he said.

MASSIVE PREPARATIONS, MULTI-LAYERED SECURITY

Preparations at the Khanapara venue continued till late Monday, with workers erecting massive pandals, media galleries and multiple stages to accommodate dignitaries and party workers expected from all 126 constituencies of the state.

According to BJP Assam media relations convenor Dhrubajyoti Maral, more than one lakh people are expected to attend the ceremony.

Officials said the venue has been divided into three stages. The main stage will host the Prime Minister, Union ministers, the Governor and the Chief Minister-designate during the oath-taking. Another stage has been reserved for Padma awardees, industrialists, ambassadors, high commissioners and Satradhikars, while MLAs and MPs will be seated separately.

Security arrangements across Guwahati have been significantly tightened ahead of the event. Chief Secretary Ravi Kota and Director General of Police Harmeet Singh reviewed the preparations, with multiple police battalions, Central Armed Police Forces, SPG and NSG personnel deployed for the programme.

Authorities have also planned extensive traffic diversions along GS Road and NH-27, with special access control measures for VIP movement.

CONGRESS TO BOYCOTT SWEARING-IN CEREMONY

While the NDA is preparing for a grand show of strength, the opposition Congress has decided to boycott the swearing-in ceremony. Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi alleged that the constitutional event was being turned into a “political and election-style rally”.

“No Congress representative will attend the swearing-in ceremony. We cannot take lightly the fact that a constitutional ceremony is being turned into an expensive political spectacle,” Gogoi said.

The Congress, which won 19 seats in the election, has begun internal reviews following its poor performance and said it is preparing to build a “new Congress” in Assam to counter the BJP in the coming years.

Tuesday’s ceremony is expected to underline the BJP’s growing political dominance in Assam and the Northeast, with the NDA projecting the event as both a celebration of its electoral victory and a roadmap for its next five years in power.

- Ends