Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has announced that the state’s Council of Ministers will be expanded on June 5. Making the announcement on Sunday, the Chief Minister confirmed the upcoming expansion on social media but did not immediately disclose the specific names or the exact number of legislators who will be inducted into the new cabinet. The strategic move is aimed at forming a full-fledged council to manage governance priorities for the newly elected administration.
The decision follows the National Democratic Alliance’s victory in the recent state assembly elections, where the coalition secured a third consecutive term by winning 102 out of 126 seats. The Bharatiya Janata Party alone won 82 seats, while its allies, the Asom Gana Parishad and the Bodoland People’s Front, secured 10 seats each. Chief Minister Sarma was sworn in for a second consecutive term on May 12 by Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya during a high-profile ceremony attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other senior dignitaries.
Currently, the Assam Cabinet remains highly compact, consisting of only four ministers alongside the Chief Minister. The current members include BJP leaders Ajanta Neog and Rameswar Teli, AGP President Atul Bora, and BPF leader Charan Boro. Because of the limited initial structure, several key government departments have remained under the direct oversight of the Chief Minister since the oath-taking ceremony.
The upcoming expansion is expected to fill the vacant berths within the state council and streamline administrative operations through a redistribution of portfolios. Political circles within the state have anticipated this reshuffle for several weeks, which follows the conclusion of the brief assembly session held in late May and the Chief Minister’s subsequent consultations with the central leadership in New Delhi.
