GUWAHATI: BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma will be sworn in as chief minister of Assam at the Srimanta Sankardeva Kalakshetra here on Monday. Governor Jagdish Mukhi invited him to be sworn in after Sarma met him Sunday.
Sarma, who was elected leader of both the BJP and NDA Legislature Party earlier in the day, had called on the Governor at Raj Bhawan and submitted a list of elected legislators owing allegiance to the NDA. Sarma will be administered the oath of office by the Governor on Monday at the Srimanta Sankardeva Kalakshetra at 12 noon though the names or the number of ministers to be sworn in with him is yet to be announced. He was accompanied to the Raj Bhawan by outgoing Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Union Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, BJP National General Secretary Arun Singh, National Vice-President and Party In-charge Assam, Baijayant Jay Panda, state party President Ranjeet Kumar Dass, AGP leaders Atul Bora and Keshab Mahanta and UPPL leader Pramode Boro.
The powerful North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) convenor was elected as the legislature party leader, a week after the ruling alliance won the assembly elections with a clear majority for the second successive term, after his name was proposed by outgoing Chief Minister Sonowal and seconded by BJP state party president MLA Ranjeet Kumar Dass and seconded by newly elected Haflong MLA Nandita Garlosa. This ended speculation over who would get the top job as both Sonowal and Sarma were seen as contenders. The BJP leadership had called the duo to Delhi on Saturday to sort out that issue and its expected that Sonowal will be given an alternate leadership position possibly in the central government. 52-year-old Sarma in his address, after being elected unanimously, was effusive in his praise for Sonowal and described his tenure as ””unblemished without a single charge of corruption or any other allegations””. The BJP leader who owed his early rise to two former chief ministers from Congress had to toil for many years with dogged determination to achieve his goal.
A five-time MLA and a minister in all cabinets since 2001, Sarmas political acumen and the ability to get work done against all odds was not only noticed but rewarded by his mentors- former Congress Chief Ministers Hiteswar Saikia and Tarun Gogoi- with both giving him ample opportunities to rise. After he fell out with Gogoi, he joined the BJP in August 2015. However despite steering the party to its maiden victory in Assam in 2016, he was made a Minister but the chief ministers berth went to his rival Sonowal, forcing him to wait for the top job. Sarma, later in a tweet thanking the Prime Minister, said he ””feels enormously blessed for Prime Minister Narendra Modi”s faith in me. This is the biggest day in my life, and I so fondly cherish your generous affection. I assure you we shall leave no stone unturned to carry forward your vision of taking Assam and North East to greater heights””.
In another tweet, thanking the people of Assam, he said, ””with fragrance of Assam in my heart and love of my wonderful people in my veins, I offer my deepest gratitude to you all. I would not have been what I am had it not been for your pious faith in me. On this day, I vow to work with each one of you with greater passion””. The opposition Congress and the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) along with the newly floated Assam Jatiya Parishad on Sunday conveyed their greetings to the chief minister-designate. The ruling BJP alliance is the first non-Congress government in the state to win the state assembly elections for a second consecutive term.
Of the 126 assembly seats in Assam, the ruling alliance has secured 75 seats with BJP winning 60 while its alliance partners AGP got nine seats and UPPL six.
