By Special Correspondent, Assam : NEDA (North East Democratic Alliance) Chairman & BJP North-East Leader Himanta Biswa Sarma has taken oath as the 15th Chief Minister of Assam. He was administered the oath by Governor of Assam Professor Jagdish Mukhi. BJP national president JP Nadda and other leaders were also present at the ceremony.
Chief Minister of Meghalaya Conrad Sangma, Manipur’s M N Biren Singh, and Nagaland’s Neiphiu Rio Tripura’s Biplab Kumar Deb. Apart from that, the former state Chief Minister of Assam Sarbananda Sonowal was also present.
Himanta Biswa was elected unanimously by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Legislature Party, which met in Guwahati on Sunday. The newly-elected Chief Minister began his day by offering prayers at Doul Gobinda Temple and Kamakhya Temple and sought the blessings of the people of his constituency Jalukbari. After that, he headed for the swearing-in ceremony.
Known to have played a pivotal role in the BJP’s growing footprint in the Northeast, Sarma left the Congress in 2015 despite being close to Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi as he felt sidelined.
The minister’s popularity has been key in the National Democratic Alliance’s victory in the Assembly polls in Assam with the alliance returning to power overcoming the stiff challenge posed by the Congress-led alliance.
BJP-led NDA secured a comfortable majority in Assam winning 75 seats of the total 126 constituencies. While BJP secured 60 seats, about 33 per cent, its allies Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and United People’s Party, Liberal (UPPL) bagged nine and six seats respectively.
