Himanta Takes Oath as Assam CM for Second Successive Term

In a message on X, Modi said the NDA government assuming office for the third consecutive term was a “great day for Assam”. “For the third consecutive time, the NDA Government assumes office. Congratulations to Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma Ji on taking oath'', the PM said.

Modi said Sarma has made a mark as a ''wonderful administrator and has done pioneering work for the state. My best wishes to him for the tenure ahead''. Thanking him, Sarma in his reply said: ''Your vision and leadership has been instrumental in driving Assam's growth in the last decade and we will continue to work in this direction with your continued support.”

Besides Sarma, four ministers — senior BJP leaders Rameswar Teli and Ajanta Neog, Asom Gana Parishad president Atul Bora and Bodoland People’s Front MLA Charan Boro — were sworn in, marking the formation of the third NDA government in a row in Assam.

Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya administered the oath of office and secrecy to Sarma at a high-profile event attended by a large number of dignitaries, including Union home minister Amit Shah, defence minister Rajnath Singh and Chief Ministers of most of NDA-ruled states. US ambassador Sergio Gor was among the attendees.

Sarma is seen as one of the architects of the BJP's rapid growth in the Northeast – a region where smaller parties and the Congress once dominated politics. The saffron party's vote share in Assam hovered at less than 12 per cent until a decade ago, came to power in 2016 and has retained control since then. Its vote share has swollen to 38 per cent in the just-concluded elections.

Sarma, who became Chief Minister in 2021, succeeding Sarbananda Sonowal, created political history by becoming the first non-Congress leader in Assam to serve two consecutive terms as Chief Minister. His return to office also marked the BJP-led NDA’s third consecutive term in Assam since the alliance first formed the government in 2016.

Before joining the BJP in 2015, Sarma was a Congress leader in Assam and a minister in the government led by former chief minister, the late Tarun Gogoi. Gogoi's son Gaurav Gogoi is the main Opposition leader in Assam. He lost in the last election from the Jorhat seat.

Sarma's move to the BJP, along with several legislators loyal to him, was seen as a major political setback for the Congress party in the state. The political observers are of the view that it was a turning point in the BJP's expansion in the region.

The BJP-led NDA registered a landslide victory in the recently concluded Assam Assembly elections, winning 102 seats in the 126-member Assembly. The BJP alone secured 82 seats, crossing the majority mark on its own for the first time in Assam. Its allies AGP and BPF won 10 seats each.

Sarma, who succeeded in establishing himself as an effective administrator, has largely been focusing on roads, bridges and welfare schemes. One of the most popular schemes of the Himanta government is the Orunodoi programme, which provides financial assistance to over 40-lakh women from low-income households.

Sarma has also been aggressive on the issue of illegal immigration from neighbouring Bangladesh, which has long been a politically sensitive issue in Assam, where debates over language, land and identity have shaped elections for decades. The Opposition parties and rights groups have accused the BJP's state government of targeting minorities, particularly Bengali-speaking Muslims.

The political observers also refer to the delimitation of constituencies in Assam, finalised by the Election Commission (EC) in August 2023, as a major factor that reshaped the state's electoral landscape.

The political observers assert that the massive mandate has further consolidated Mr Sarma’s position as the BJP’s tallest leader in the Northeast. It is significant that since taking over as chief minister in 2021, Mr Sarma has emerged as one of the BJP’s most influential regional leaders. He played a central role in the party’s expansion not only across the Northeast but at the national level too, say political observers.

While the BJP used the swearing-in ceremony of the NDA government for the third time as a show of strength, the Opposition Congress stayed away from the oath-taking ceremony. Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi alleged that the constitutional event had been converted into a “political spectacle”.

“We cannot support the conversion of a constitutional event into an expensive political rally,” Gaurav Gogoi said. The Congress won only 19 seats in the 126-member Assam Assembly in the recently held elections.

The US ambassador, who was in Guwahati to attend the swearing-in ceremony. said his country will explore more opportunities with Assam that will be commercially beneficial to both sides.

"The United States and Assam have many commercial ties, and with the CM's leadership we will identify many more win-win scenarios for both of our nations!" Mr Gor said in a post on social media.