Himanta Biswa Sharma was sworn in as Assam chief minister for the second consecutive term on Tuesday, days after the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) won a decisive mandate in the state.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, BJP National President Nitin Naveen and other senior leaders attended the swearing-in ceremony at the Veterinary College Grounds in Khanapara, Guwahati. Representatives and dignitaries from India and abroad were also present on the occasion.
Sharma, who at the age of 57 became Assam’s first non-Congress leader to serve as chief minister for a second consecutive term, was sworn in by Governor Laxman Prasad Acharya.
In the last election, the BJP won 82 seats in the 126-member Assam Assembly. Its allies, Assam Gana Parishad (AGP) and Boroland People’s Front, won 10 seats each, bringing the total number of NDA seats in the state.
Sharma, who contested from Jalukbari seat, won the seat by a margin of 89,000 votes.
Sharma was sworn in as ministers in the new cabinet along with BJP leaders Rameshwar Teli, Atul Bora, Charan Boro and Ajanta Neog.
Sharma announced their names on social media before the event. They will be inducted into the Cabinet in the presence of the Prime Minister.
Veteran BJP leader and MLA Ranjit Das has also been selected as the NDA candidate for the post of Speaker of the Assam Legislative Assembly.
This is the third consecutive term of NDA rule in Assam. In 2016, the first term of the then Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal began.
Security has been beefed up across Guwahati ahead of the event. Central and state forces were jointly deployed for the smooth conduct of the event.
post Himanta Biswa Sharma was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Assam for the second time in a row. appeared first Northeast Now (Assamese).
