Twelve ministers inducted into Himanta Biswa Sarma’s expanded cabinet as linguistic diversity, political gestures and regional representation shape the swearing-in event
Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma expanded his ministry by inducting 12 legislators, taking the strength of the Council of Ministers to 17 and signalling a mix of continuity and generational change in the BJP-led government.
The new ministers are Ashwini Ray Sarkar, Ashok Singhal, Bimal Borah, Biswajit Daimary, Jayanta Malla Baruah, Kaushik Rai, Keshab Mahanta, Krishnendu Paul, Nilima Devi, Pijush Hazarika, Ranoj Pegu and Susanta Borgohain. Among them, Ashwini Ray Sarkar, Biswajit Daimary, Nilima Devi and Susanta Borgohain entered the cabinet for the first time.
Soon after taking the oath, ministers Pijush Hazarika and Susanta Borgohain were seen touching the Chief Minister’s feet, a gesture that drew attention during the ceremony. Equally notable was the use of multiple languages during the oath-taking, reflecting Assam’s diverse social fabric. While most ministers chose Assamese, Bimal Borah took the oath in Sanskrit, Kaushik Rai in Hindi and Krishnendu Paul in Bengali.
The expansion also strengthened women’s representation, with first-time MLA Nilima Devi becoming only the second woman in the cabinet alongside Finance Minister Ajanta Neog.
Sharing his thoughts after the ceremony, the Chief Minister said, “Today, the expanded Team Assam took the oath of office and secrecy to serve the people of Assam. It’s a balanced team which represents the aspirations of all sections of people.”
The cabinet expansion, however, unfolded amid protests in parts of Upper Assam over the exclusion of BJP leader Bolin Chetia from the ministry.
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