Guwahati: After a historic win of the Bharatiya Janata Party in the recently concluded Assembly elections in the state, Sarbananda Sonowal today took oath as the first BJP Chief Minister of Assam. The oath of secrecy to Sonowal and his Cabinet was administered by Assam Governor PB Acharya.
Among those sworn in alongside Sonowal as ministers in the cabinet included 10 from alliance partners Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and Bodo Peoples Front (BPF) also took their oath of office at the function which was also attended by BJP President Amit Shah.
The six from BJP to take oath as ministers were Himanta Biswa Sarma, Chandra Mohan Patowary, Ranjit Dutta, Parimal Suklabaidya, Pallab Lochan Das and Naba Kumar Doley.
The two from AGP to be sworn-in were Atul Bora (Jr) and Kesab Mahanta, while the two from BPF were Pramila Rani Brahma and Rihan Daimary.
Congratulating Sonowal, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, "I am sure that Sarbananda ji will leave no stone unturned for the development of Assam."
Sarbananda Sonowal oath ceremony
"Now, Delhi govt will make all possible attempts to match the steps of Assam govt," he added.
"Want to tell people in Assam that their job doesn't end at voting as for development it's imperative for govt & people to work together."
The swearing-in ceremony saw Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several senior ministers and party leaders at the Centre in attendance. These included party chief Amit Shah, veteran BJP leader L K Advani, among others.
NDA chief ministers Parkash Singh Badal, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Vasundhara Raje, N Chandrababu Naidu also attended the BJP governemnt’s swearing-in ceremony.
Interestingly, former Assam CM Tarun Gogoi was among the dignitaries seated on the dais.
This is the first time that the BJP has been voted to power in the eastern state. The swearing in ceremony was held at Khanapara where a cultural programme showcasing the rich culture of the state was also displayed.
Guwahati got a new look as banners and hoardings of NDA leaders were displayed. Security has been beefed up in and around Guwahati city.
While the BJP had won 60 assembly seats on its own, the AGP and BPF had won 14 and 12 seats respectively, taking the alliance's strength to 86 in the 126-member house.
