Also read
A 14-member Assam ministry headed by 52-year-old Himanta Biswa Sarma as the 15th chief minister will be sworn in today.
The swearing-in ceremony is scheduled to be held at noon at the Srimanta Sankardeva Kalakshetra. Governor Jagdish Mukhi will administer the oath.
Sarma had called the governor on Sunday evening after being unanimously elected as the leader of the BJP legislature party ending week-long suspense over the top seat since results were declared on May 2. He submitted a list of elected legislators owing allegiance to the NDA, which includes the Asom Gana Parishad and the United People’s Party, Liberal.
Former chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal proposed his name which was seconded by Dass and Nandita Garlosa.
There are several new faces in the ministry including Ranjit Dass, state president of the BJP, and Urkhao Gwra Brahma from UPPL.
Other ministers likely to take the oath are: Pijush Hazarika, Atul Bora, Keshab Mahanta, Ajanta Neog, Bimal Bora, Jogen Mohan, Ashok Singhal, Chandra Mohan Patowary, Ranoj Pegu, Sanjay Kishan, and Parimal Suklabaidya
BJP national president J P Nadda is among the invitees to the swearing-in besides chief ministers of Mizoram, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Tripura, and Meghalaya.
Sarma also called up Assam Congress president Ripun Bora, AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal and Bodoland People’s Front president Hagrama Mohilary inviting them after several months of a bitter war of words in the run-up to the high-voltage elections, which eventually the NDA won with 75 of the 126-seat assembly.
On Saturday, Sarma and Sonowal were summoned by the BJP leadership in Delhi to thrash out the chief minister issue. Nadda, Amit Shah, and B L Santosh had separate meetings with both and then another together after which Sarma said the legislature party meeting would decide.
For in-depth, objective and more importantly balanced journalism, Click here to subscribe to Outlook Magazine