Himanta Biswa Sarma Sworn in as Assam Chief Minister for Second Consecutive Term

Guwahati, May 12: Assam’s political landscape witnessed a historic moment on Tuesday as Himanta Biswa Sarma took the oath of office for the second consecutive time as Chief Minister. With this achievement, he becomes the first non-Congress leader to serve two consecutive terms in Assam. The grand oath-taking ceremony was officiated by Governor Laxman Prasad Acharya in Guwahati.

The Governor appointed him as Chief Minister after Sarma was elected as the leader of the NDA legislative party on Sunday. This marks the third consecutive term for the NDA government in Assam. Sarma initially took charge in 2021, following Sarbananda Sonowal’s first term, which began in 2016 under the BJP’s leadership.

The ceremony was attended by several prominent figures, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, and BJP National President Nitin Gadkari, along with Chief Ministers and Deputy Chief Ministers from NDA-ruled states.

Himanta Biswa Sarma’s political journey has been quite remarkable. He joined the BJP in 2015 at the behest of Amit Shah, leaving the Congress party, which then dominated Assam with only five BJP legislators. Sarma strategically worked to strengthen the BJP’s presence in the Northeast.

In 2016, he was appointed as the convenor of the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), playing a crucial role in aligning regional parties with the BJP. Political analysts believe that Sarma’s strategic approach has significantly contributed to the BJP’s rapid growth in the Northeast.

Sarma’s educational background is rooted in Guwahati. He completed his schooling at Kamrup Academy, followed by a BA and MA in Political Science from the prestigious Cotton College. He later earned an LLB from Government Law College and practiced law at the Guwahati High Court for some time.

In 2006, he received a PhD from Guwahati University, focusing on “Northeastern Council: A Structural and Functional Analysis,” studying the council’s role in the development of Northeast India.

His political career began in student politics. He served as the General Secretary of the Cotton College Students’ Union in 1991-92 and later joined the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU). He entered Congress in the 1990s and became a legislator for the first time in 2001 from the Jalukbari constituency, where he has consistently won elections since.