The Assam cabinet was expanded on Saturday with the induction of four new ministers during the swearing-in ceremony at the Srimanta Sankardeva Kalakshetra in Guwahati. While two ministers are from the Barak Valley, the other two are from the tea tribe community and Upper Assam.
The four ministers sworn in are Prasanta Phookan, Kaushik Rai, Krishnendu Paul, and Rupesh Goala. Their joining with the chief minister's current cabinet of 19 will now make up a cabinet that already includes other ministers of various regional parties like the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and the United Peoples' Party, Liberal (UPPL).
Chief Minister Sarma congratulated the new ministers via X (formerly Twitter), stating, “Congratulations to all my colleagues who have taken oath today. Looking forward to working with them to fulfill Adarniya Shri @narendramodi ji’s vision of a Viksit Assam.”
The newly sworn-in ministers are yet to have their portfolios assigned, with Sarma indicating that a reshuffle and redistribution of departments will take place later on Saturday evening. The four ministers will attend their first cabinet meeting later that night.
Profile of the new ministers:
- Prasanta Phookan (MLA - Dibrugarh): Prasanta Phookan, born on July 23, 1954, is a veteran politician and a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He has been elected to the Assam Legislative Assembly multiple times, in 2006, 2011, 2016, and 2021. Phookan represents the Dibrugarh constituency, having won the 2021 election with a margin of 38,005 votes. Before resigning, he served as the Chairperson of the Managing Committee of Assam Medical College and Hospital, Dibrugarh.
- Kaushik Rai (MLA - Lahkipur): Kaushik Rai, a BJP member, represents the Lahkipur constituency in the Assam Legislative Assembly. Elected in the 2021 elections, Rai holds a B.Com degree from Gurucharan College and a Bachelor of Laws degree from Assam University. He brings legal and academic expertise to the cabinet.
- Krishnendu Paul (MLA - Patharkandi): Krishnendu Paul, born on May 17, 1973, is another BJP politician from Assam, re-elected in 2021 from the Patharkandi constituency in Karimganj District. Paul has been a member of the Assam Legislative Assembly since 2016, and his re-election reflects his strong local support.
- Rupesh Goala (MLA - Doom Dooma): Rupesh Goala represents the Doom Dooma constituency in the Assam Legislative Assembly, having won his seat in the 2021 elections. A member of the BJP, Goala's addition to the cabinet is seen as a boost to the party's presence in the region.
Assam’s expanding political landscape
The stronghold of the BJP-led government in Assam further strengthens and is reflected in the cabinet expansion. Sarma's NDA-administered government now comprises a total of 84 in a house of 126 for the assembly. The Chief Minister leads a coalition government including such partners as the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and the United Peoples' Party, Liberal (UPPL).
Through the cabinet reshuffle and addition of these four ministers, the new series of government policies is targeted at balancing regional representation and filling in the aspirations of different communities that make up Assam. When the cabinet is settled in, it would work on furthering development initiatives to address political and economic issues in the state. Newly sworn ministers will now take up their duties, and the state will be monitoring closely for portfolio allocation and assignment of their new duties.