Guwahati, June 5: The Himanta Biswa Sarma-led Assam government expanded its Council of Ministers on Thursday with the induction of 12 legislators, including four first-time ministers, in a significant political move following the NDA’s decisive victory in the recent Assembly elections.
Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya administered the oath of office and secrecy to the new ministers at a ceremony held at 12:45 pm at the Jyoti-Bishnu Antarjatik Kala Mandir in Guwahati.
With the expansion, the strength of the Assam Council of Ministers has risen to 17, including the Chief Minister. Under constitutional provisions, the maximum permissible strength of the ministry in the 126-member Assembly is 19.
The new entrants include BJP legislators Ashwini Ray Sarkar, Nilima Devi, Sushanta Borgohain and former Assembly Speaker Biswajit Daimary, who are joining the cabinet for the first time. Senior AGP leader Keshab Mahanta has also been inducted.
Other legislators taking oath include Ashok Singhal, Ranoj Pegu, Bimal Borah, Jayanta Malla Baruah, Kaushik Rai, Krishnendu Paul and Pijush Hazarika, all of whom were part of the previous ministry.
The Council of Ministers already included AGP president Atul Bora, BPF leader Charan Boro, and BJP leaders Ajanta Neog and Rameshwar Teli. After the expansion, the cabinet comprises 13 BJP ministers, two from the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), and one from the Bodoland People’s Front (BPF), alongside the Chief Minister.
The reshuffle also reflects regional and community representation, with ministers drawn from the Barak Valley, Bodo community, Mising, Koch-Rajbongshi, Ahom and other groups, covering Upper, Lower, Central and North Assam along with Barak Valley.
The NDA had secured a landslide victory in the recently concluded Assembly elections, winning 102 of the 126 seats, with the BJP taking 82 seats and its allies AGP and BPF securing 10 seats each.
