Himanta Biswa Sarma takes oath as Assam CM for 2nd term

Himanta Biswa Sarma commences his second term as Assam's Chief Minister, solidifying the NDA's continued governance in the state with a grand swearing-in ceremony attended by top national leaders.

The Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratica Alliance assumed the mantle of power for the third term on Tuesday when Himanta Biswa Sarma was sworn in as the chief minister of Assam for the second time in a row, cementing the saffron party's dominance in the state.

Four MLAs of the BJP and its alliance partners AGP and BPF also took oath as ministers in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya administered the oath of office to Sarma and the four legislators at a 25-minute grand ceremony held at the Veterinary Ground in Khanapara area in Guwahati.

Besides Modi and Amit Shah, Union ministers Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari, Sarbananda Sonowal, Pabitra Margherita, chief ministers and deputy chief ministers of BJP-ruled states and BJP president Nitin Nabin were present at the swearing-in ceremony.

The PM said that the NDA government assuming office for the third consecutive term was a ''great day for Assam'' and congratulated Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on taking oath for the second time.

In a post on X, the PM said that 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''.

Sarma said that it was an extremely emotional moment for him as he took oath as the CM for the second consecutive term and ''with all humility I bow down to the people of Assam''.

He said this would not have been possible without the PM's guidance which has been the "biggest motivating factor for our government''.

It is his ''leadership and vision which has guided us in our path of Sewa (service) and Samarpan (dedication)'', he added.

Sarma also thanked party president Nitin Nabin for his leadership that galvanised all NDA workers in Assam to take the message of good governance to every household.

He further said that the occasion would not have been possible without the 'mentorship of Amit Shah who has "stood with us like a rock in our path to bring back peace and prosperity to the state and work towards delivering our promises to the people''.

He also thanked BJP workers across Assam, who toiled hard to achieve this historic victory.

The chief minister, attired in dhoti and kurta with the traditional 'gamosa' draped around his neck, took oath in Assamese.

The BJP's Rameshwar Teli and Ajanta Neog, AGP's Atul Bora, and Charan Boro of BPF also took oath as ministers, representing the tea community, women, the regional community and the indigenous Bodo tribe, respectively.

Teli, Bora and Neog took their oath in Assamese while the BPF minister took in Bodo.

The Prime Minister congratulated the CM and each of the ministers after they took the oath.

After the swearing-in ceremony was over, the PM greeted the people with folded hands and also all present on the dais, before leaving the venue.

BJP president Nitin Nabin said the 'double-engine' government in Assam will accelerate development activities, investment and public welfare programmes.

"This occasion marks a renewed momentum for Assam's ongoing journey toward good governance, stability, and development," Nabin said on an X post.

Shah said the NDA government has laid a robust foundation of development and security, on which a grand edifice of progress will be built.

"Electing the BJP-led NDA for the third consecutive term, the people of Assam have reaffirmed that the BJP-NDA governments are the dispensations of trust... I bow to the people of Assam for the historic mandate," Shah said.

Sarma also congratulated his cabinet colleagues who were sworn in as part of the third BJP-led NDA government in the state along with him.

"Together, we shall work towards creating a Viksit and Surakshit Assam," he added.

Neog, Bora and Boro were members of Sarma's first cabinet, while Teli, a former Union minister, returned to state politics.

Neog was the finance minister, while Bora was in charge of the agriculture department and Boro held the transport department in the outgoing government.

The NDA won a record 102 seats of the 126-member assembly, including 82 from the BJP.

The BJP allies, the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and the Bodoland Peoples' Front (BPF), bagged 10 seats each.