Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma expanded his council of ministers on Friday, inducting 11 BJP legislators and one AGP MLA in a reshuffle that takes the Assam Cabinet strength to 17, during a swearing-in ceremony held in Guwahati.
Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya administered the oath of office and secrecy to the newly inducted ministers at the Jyoti-Bishnu Antarjatik Kala Mandir. The expansion comes as the state government looks to broaden regional and community representation within the ruling NDA alliance.
Union Ministers Sarbananda Sonowal and Pabitra Margherita, Assam Assembly Speaker Ranjeet Kumar Dass, BJP state president Dilip Saikia and several NDA MLAs attended the ceremony.
Among the prominent inductees are BJP legislators Ranoj Pegu, Ashok Singhal, Biswajit Daimary, along with AGP leader Keshab Mahanta, who returns to the cabinet after previously serving in the Sarma-led government.
Other BJP MLAs sworn in include Ashwini Ray Sarkar, Nandini Devi, Sushanta Borgohain, Bimal Borah, Jayant Mallabaruah, Kaushik Rai, Krishnendu Paul and Pijush Hazarika. Rai took oath in Hindi, while others were administered the oath in Assamese.
With this expansion, the Assam Cabinet now comprises 17 ministers, including the Chief Minister. Earlier, four ministers were sworn in on May 12, bringing continuity to the reshaped executive structure.
The cabinet strength remains below the constitutional ceiling of 19 for the 126-member Assam Legislative Assembly, indicating scope for further adjustments if required.
The NDA government in Assam, which secured a decisive mandate with 102 seats in the Assembly, includes 82 BJP MLAs, alongside allies Atul Bora and Bodoland People’s Front representation.
The current ministry now includes 13 BJP ministers, two from the Asom Gana Parishad and one from the Bodoland People’s Front. Women representation remains unchanged with two ministers in the cabinet.
The reshuffle also reflects regional and ethnic balancing. Representation spans Barak Valley, Upper Assam, Lower Assam, central Assam and multiple communities including Mising, Koch Rajbongshi, Ahom and Bodo groups, underscoring the alliance’s attempt at inclusive governance.
The ceremony concluded with the newly sworn-in ministers formally joining the Sarma-led council, marking one of the largest cabinet expansions since the formation of the present government.
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