Himanta Biswa Sarma takes oath as Assam CM for second successive term

• Himanta Biswa Sarma was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Assam for the second consecutive term on May 12.

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

• BJP’s Rameshwar Teli and Ajanta Neog, AGP’s Atul Bora, Charan Boro of BPF took oath as ministers.

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Ministers Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari, Sarbananda Sonowal, Pabitra Margherita, Chief Ministers and deputy CMs of BJP-ruled states and BJP president Nitin Nabin were present at the swearing-in ceremony.

• The NDA won 102 seats of the 126-member Assembly, including the BJP’s 82 constituencies.

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

The rise of Himanta Biswa Sarma

• Sarma was born on February 1, 1969 in Jorhat to noted Assamese poet and novelist Kailash Nath Sarma and literary activist Mrinalini Devi.

• He earned a master's degree in political science in 1992 and also a PhD in the same subject.

• Sarma obtained an LLB degree in 1995 and practised at the Gauhati High Court for five years.

• Sarma began his political journey during the anti-foreigner Assam Agitation of the 1980s, initially working with All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) leaders such as Prafulla Kumar Mahanta and Bhrigu Kumar Phukan before entering mainstream politics.

• After losing his electoral debut in 1996, Sarma has represented Jalukbari continuously since 2001, winning as both a Congress and BJP candidate. 

• A minister in successive governments since 2001, he earned a reputation for administrative effectiveness and political strategy.

• He became a minister under Tarun Gogoi’s leadership in 2001.

• Sarma rose steadily within the party before differences with Gogoi led to his exit in 2015.

• The BJP quickly inducted him, leveraging his influence to strengthen its presence in the Northeast.

• As convenor of the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), he played a pivotal role in bringing all eight northeastern states under the NDA’s ambit, either through BJP governments or allied partners.

• He was instrumental, along with Sarbananda Sonowal, in forming the saffron party’s first government in Assam in 2016. 

• He held key portfolios including finance, health, education and public works.

• He took the oath of office as the 15th Chief Minister of Assam on May 10, 2021.