Daijiworld Media Network - Guwahati
Guwahati, May 10: BJP legislators in Assam on Sunday unanimously elected Himanta Biswa Sarma as the leader of the legislature party, paving the way for him to become Chief Minister for a second consecutive term.
MLAs of BJP allies Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and Bodoland People's Front (BPF) also extended support to Sarma’s leadership.
All 82 BJP MLAs met at the party’s state headquarters in Guwahati at around 11 am and unanimously elected Sarma in the presence of Union Health Minister JP Nadda and Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, who were appointed as central observers by the party.
Sarma is expected to meet Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya at Lok Bhawan to stake claim to form the new government.
The swearing-in ceremony of the Sarma-led government will be held on Tuesday, May 12, at the College of Veterinary Science Playground.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the event as the chief guest. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP national president Nitin Nabin, Chief Ministers and Deputy Chief Ministers of NDA-ruled states are also expected to attend the ceremony.
According to Assam BJP president Dilip Saikia, more than one lakh people are expected to participate in the event.
In the Assembly election results declared on May 4, the BJP-led alliance secured a third consecutive term with a record victory, winning 102 out of 126 seats in the Assam Assembly.
The BJP won 82 seats, while AGP and BPF secured 10 seats each.
The political rise of 57-year-old Himanta Biswa Sarma has been significant since his departure from the Indian National Congress in August 2015.
Sarma had emerged as a prominent Congress leader before quitting the party following differences with former Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi.
He played a key role in helping the BJP form its first government in Assam in 2016 and again in 2021, when he replaced Sarbananda Sonowal as Chief Minister.
Sarma has also been credited with strengthening the BJP’s position across several northeastern states and has emerged as one of the party’s prominent Hindutva leaders.
His government’s policies targeting illegal infiltration and Bengali-speaking Muslim communities in Assam have been projected by the BJP as part of its “anti-infiltrator” campaign, particularly in eastern states bordering Bangladesh.