Guwahati, 12 May (H.S.): Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the swearing‑in ceremony of Himanta Biswa Sarma as Chief Minister of Assam for a second consecutive term here on Tuesday, in a high‑profile event that underscored the BJP‑led National Democratic Alliance’s consolidated hold over the northeastern state. Sarma, 57, was administered the oath of office and secrecy by Assam Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya in a grand open‑air ceremony at the Veterinary College Field in Khanapara, Guwahati, in the presence of senior Union ministers, NDA chief ministers, and a large public audience.

PM Modi alongside Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP national president Nitin Nabin, and several chief ministers and deputy chief ministers from NDA‑ruled states, underscoring the national significance of the event. The Prime Minister’s presence marked the third consecutive term of an NDA government in Assam and reinforced the Centre’s political alignment with the BJP‑led coalition in the Northeast.

Second‑term milestone for Sarma

By taking oath for a second straight term, Himanta Biswa Sarma became the first in Assam’s history to return as Chief Minister after completing a full term. The BJP‑led NDA swept 102 out of 126 seats in the Assam Assembly elections, with the BJP securing 82 seats—a first‑time single‑party majority in the state since the party’s entry into Assam politics. The alliance partners, Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and Bodoland People’s Front (BPF), each won 10 seats, sealing the NDA’s electoral dominance.

Four ministers were sworn in alongside Sarma: BJP’s Rameswar Teli and Ajanta Neog, AGP president Atul Bora, and BPF’s Charan Boro. Neog, Bora and Boro had served in Sarma’s first‑term cabinet, while Teli, a former Union minister, returned to state politics after a stint in central government. Former MLA Ranjeet Kumar Dass was later announced as the NDA’s candidate for Speaker of the Assam Legislative Assembly.

PM Modi’s attendance lent a national‑level ceremonial gravitas to the event, with the swearing‑in framed as both a continuation of development initiatives and a political milestone for the BJP in the Northeast. The Prime Minister interacted with Sarma, party leaders, and visiting dignitaries before and after the ceremony, exchanging congratulations on the scale of the NDA’s victory and the consolidation of its governance model in Assam.

In the immediate aftermath of the oath‑taking, the new Sarma‑led cabinet convened its first meeting, with the Chief Minister describing the second term as one of “execution, not expansion.” Sarma reiterated that the government’s priority would be the implementation of the BJP’s electoral promises, including infrastructure, welfare schemes, and measures aimed at socioeconomic stability in the border‑state.

International representation was also evident, with US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor attending the ceremony, signaling continued diplomatic engagement with India’s strategically important northeastern states. The day’s formal programme concluded with Sarma addressing the gathering, thanking the electorate and reiterating his commitment to “development without disruption” over the next five years.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar