GUWAHATI: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on May 11 announced that four leaders, Ajanta Neog, Rameswar Teli, Atul Bora and Charan Boro, will take oath as ministers in the Assam Cabinet in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The first set of ministers reflects a mix of political experience, alliance representation, gender inclusion and community outreach. The induction includes former Union Minister Rameswar Teli from the tea tribe community, AGP leader Atul Bora, BPF representative Charan Boro and Ajanta Neog, Assam’s first woman finance minister.
Ajanta Neog, who won from the Golaghat constituency, has been representing the seat continuously since 2001. She has served as Assam’s Finance Minister and Minister for Women and Child Development since May 2021, becoming the first woman to hold the finance portfolio in the state.
Charan Boro, elected from the Mazbat constituency, previously served as a Cabinet Minister handling the Transport and Welfare of Bodoland departments. A leader of the Bodoland People’s Front (BPF), Boro expressed gratitude after the announcement, stating on X that he was “deeply honoured and humbled” by the responsibility entrusted to him by the Chief Minister.
Rameswar Teli, who won from the Duliajan constituency, is a new face in the Assam ministry. He served as a Rajya Sabha MP representing Assam and was also the Lok Sabha MP from Dibrugarh between 2014 and 2024. In the second Modi government, he held the portfolios of Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas, and Labour and Employment from 2021 to 2024.
Atul Bora, MLA from Bokakhat and president of the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), currently handles the Agriculture, Horticulture, Excise, Implementation of Assam Accord and Border Protection & Development departments in the NDA-led Assam government. His inclusion underlines the continued importance of alliance partner AGP in the ruling coalition.
Meanwhile, BJP MLA Ranjeet Kumar Dass, who won from the Bhowanipur-Sorbhog constituency, has been named the speaker of the Assam Legislative Assembly. Dass is set to replace Biswajit Daimary as Speaker. He previously served as Minister for Panchayat and Rural Development, Food and Civil Supplies, and Consumer Affairs in the Himanta Biswa Sarma-led government since 2021.