Assam is set to witness another major political moment as Himanta Biswa Sarma prepares to take oath for a second consecutive term as Chief Minister, leading the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance government back to power for a historic third straight tenure in the state. The grand swearing in ceremony scheduled on Tuesday is being projected by the NDA as both a celebration of electoral dominance and a display of the BJP’s expanding political strength across the Northeast.
Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya will administer the oath of office and secrecy to Himanta Biswa Sarma and members of the new Council of Ministers at a high profile event near Guwahati at 11.40 AM. Massive preparations have been underway for days as the ruling alliance plans one of the largest political ceremonies witnessed in Assam in recent years.
The event is expected to draw top national leadership from the NDA, including Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, Nirmala Sitharaman and senior BJP leaders from across the country. Chief ministers and deputy chief ministers from multiple NDA ruled states are also expected to attend the ceremony, turning the swearing in into a major national political event.
The oath ceremony marks another milestone in Assam’s political transformation under BJP leadership. Himanta Biswa Sarma will become the first non Congress leader in Assam’s history to serve two consecutive terms as Chief Minister. The achievement is being viewed as a significant moment in the political evolution of the state, where Congress once maintained uninterrupted dominance for decades.
The NDA’s latest electoral victory has further consolidated BJP’s position as the dominant political force in Assam and the wider Northeast region. The alliance secured a sweeping mandate in the recently concluded Assembly elections, winning 102 seats in the 126 member Assembly.
The BJP alone crossed the majority mark independently for the first time by winning 82 seats. Alliance partners Asom Gana Parishad and Bodoland People’s Front secured 10 seats each, strengthening the NDA’s overall position in the Assembly.
The scale of the victory has been interpreted by political observers as a strong endorsement of Himanta Biswa Sarma’s governance style, political strategy and aggressive campaign messaging centered around identity, land rights, security and development.
Along with Sarma, four ministers are expected to take oath in the first phase of Cabinet formation. Senior BJP leaders Rameswar Teli and Ajanta Neog will join the Council of Ministers alongside AGP president Atul Bora and BPF MLA Charan Boro.
Except for Rameswar Teli, all the ministers taking oath were also part of the outgoing government. The Cabinet composition reflects the NDA’s attempt to maintain alliance balance while ensuring continuity in governance.
Sarma has also announced that senior BJP MLA Ranjeet Kumar Dass will be the NDA candidate for the Speaker’s post in the Assam Legislative Assembly. Dass had previously served as Speaker after the BJP first formed the government in the state in 2016.
The new government is expected to aggressively continue several key policy agendas that defined the BJP’s election campaign. Land rights, anti encroachment drives, border security, illegal immigration and identity politics are likely to remain central themes of governance under NDA 3.0 in Assam.
Ahead of the oath ceremony, Sarma reiterated the BJP’s political messaging by declaring that Assam’s “land, identity and future are non negotiable.” He stated that the government would continue large scale eviction and land recovery operations aimed at reclaiming land allegedly occupied illegally.
According to Sarma, the government has already freed nearly 1.5 lakh bighas of land from encroachment during previous terms and now aims to reclaim an additional 5 lakh bighas in the coming years.
The BJP’s slogan “Jati, Mati, Bheti” once again dominated political messaging during the election campaign and is expected to remain a defining ideological framework of the government’s next phase.
The administration is also expected to focus heavily on infrastructure expansion, industrial investment, employment generation and connectivity projects aimed at strengthening Assam’s economic position within the Northeast region.
Preparations for the swearing in ceremony continued late into Monday night as workers erected massive stages, media galleries, seating arrangements and security barricades near the Khanapara venue on the outskirts of Guwahati.
According to BJP Assam media relations convenor Dhrubajyoti Maral, more than one lakh supporters and attendees are expected to witness the ceremony.
Authorities have reportedly divided the venue into multiple sections to accommodate political leaders, diplomats, industrialists, religious figures, MPs, MLAs and party workers arriving from all districts of Assam.
The main stage will host the Prime Minister, Governor, Union ministers and Chief Minister designate during the oath ceremony. Separate seating arrangements have been made for ambassadors, Padma awardees, industrialists and cultural leaders.
Security arrangements across Guwahati have been intensified significantly ahead of the event. Senior administrative officials including Chief Secretary Ravi Kota and Director General of Police Harmeet Singh personally reviewed the preparations.
Multiple police battalions, Central Armed Police Forces, Special Protection Group and National Security Guard personnel have been deployed to secure the venue and surrounding areas.
Authorities have also introduced major traffic diversions along GS Road and National Highway 27 due to expected VIP movement and large public gatherings.
While the NDA prepares for a grand political show, the opposition Congress has decided to boycott the swearing in ceremony. Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi criticised the event, accusing the BJP of turning a constitutional occasion into a large scale political spectacle.
According to Gogoi, no Congress representative will attend the ceremony because the opposition believes the event is being used more as an election style rally rather than a constitutional proceeding.
The Congress, which secured only 19 seats in the Assembly elections, has already begun reviewing its electoral strategy after another disappointing performance in the state.
Political analysts believe Tuesday’s ceremony will further underline the BJP’s expanding influence not only in Assam but across the entire Northeast region. Under Himanta Biswa Sarma’s leadership, the BJP has strengthened its organisational presence, alliance network and political messaging throughout the region.
The swearing in also comes at a time when the BJP is projecting regional stability, development and strong governance as major themes ahead of future national elections.
For Himanta Biswa Sarma personally, the second consecutive term represents another major milestone in a political journey that has transformed him into one of the BJP’s most influential regional leaders.
The coming months will now test how effectively the NDA government balances aggressive political messaging with governance delivery, economic development and social stability in one of India’s most strategically important regions.
