‘Rise of BJP in East is evident’: Maharashtra CM hails Assam win as Himanta set for second term
Devendra Fadnavis reached Guwahati and welcomed Himanta Biswa Sarma's return for a second term in Assam. He said the result underlined the BJP's growing acceptance in eastern India and its governance pitch.
- May 11, 2026,
- Updated May 11, 2026, 7:23 PM IST
- Himanta Biswa Sarma will take oath on Tuesday for another term
- The ceremony is scheduled at Khanapara's Veterinary College Field at 11.40 am
- Fadnavis credited Narendra Modi's development agenda for Assam's electoral outcome
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on May 11 said the Bharatiya Janata Party’s growing influence in eastern India was becoming increasingly visible, as he arrived in Guwahati ahead of the swearing-in ceremony of Assam Chief Minister-designate Himanta Biswa Sarma.
Sarma is set to take oath for a second consecutive term on Tuesday, May 12, following the BJP-led alliance’s decisive victory in the Assam Assembly elections. The ceremony will be held at Veterinary College Field in Khanapara at 11.40 am.
Speaking to reporters after landing in Guwahati, Fadnavis attributed the BJP’s third straight electoral victory in Assam to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s development agenda and Sarma’s leadership in the state.
“I am very happy that the BJP government has come to power in Assam for the third consecutive time,” Fadnavis said, adding that “the way change has come to Assam under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi” had strengthened public confidence in the party.
He said Sarma had worked to fulfil “the hopes of development in Assam”, which, according to him, contributed to the BJP securing an “unprecedented victory” in the state.
Expressing confidence in the incoming government, Fadnavis said Assam would continue to progress under Sarma’s leadership during the new term as well.
The Maharashtra chief minister also linked Assam’s electoral outcome to the BJP’s broader expansion in eastern India. Referring to West Bengal while speaking about the party’s growth in the region, he said the BJP’s rise in the East reflected increasing political acceptance of the party and its governance model.
“The rise of the BJP in the East is evident to us,” he said, adding that developments in Bengal remained an important part of the party’s eastern strategy.
Earlier in the day, Fadnavis visited Kamakhya Temple and offered prayers ahead of the oath-taking ceremony.
Meanwhile, Assam Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya has formally appointed Sarma as chief minister under Article 164(1) of the Constitution, according to a notification issued by the Assam Parliamentary Affairs Department.
