Assam cabinet expansion: 12 MLAs take oath, four new faces join Himanta Biswa Sarma ministry

The Himanta Biswa Sarma-led Assam government is expanding its council of ministers today, June 5, with the induction of 12 legislators, including four first-time ministers, in a move aimed at strengthening the NDA government following its emphatic victory in the recent Assembly elections.

Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya is administering the oath of office and secrecy to the new ministers at a ceremony scheduled to begin at 12:45 pm at the Jyoti-Bishnu Antarjatik Kala Mandir in Guwahati.

Following the expansion, the strength of the Assam Council of Ministers will rise to 17, including Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. Under constitutional provisions, the maximum permissible strength of the ministry in the 126-member Assam Legislative Assembly is 19.

The four new faces joining the ministry are BJP legislators Ashwini Ray Sarkar, Nilima Devi, Sushanta Borgohain and former Assembly Speaker Biswajit Daimary. Senior AGP leader Keshab Mahanta is also being inducted.

The other legislators taking oath are Ashok Singhal, Ranoj Pegu, Bimal Borah, Jayanta Malla Baruah, Kaushik Rai, Krishnendu Paul and Pijush Hazarika. All of them served as ministers in the previous Himanta Biswa Sarma government.

The ministers already sworn in include 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), besides the Chief Minister.

The new ministry reflects a balance of regional and ethnic representation. Kaushik Rai and Krishnendu Paul represent the Barak Valley, while Charan Boro and Biswajit Daimary provide representation to the Bodo community. Ranoj Pegu represents the Mising community, Ashwini Ray Sarkar the Koch-Rajbongshi community, and Sushanta Borgohain the Ahom community.

Geographically, the cabinet includes representatives from Upper Assam, Lower Assam, Central Assam, North Assam and the Barak Valley.

The NDA secured a landslide victory in the recently concluded Assembly elections, winning 102 of the 126 seats. The BJP won 82 seats, while its allies AGP and BPF secured 10 seats each.