The strength of the Himanta Biswa Sarma-led Assam Cabinet has risen to 17 ministers with the induction of 12 more legislators, including four first-time ministers, on Friday.
Assam Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya administered the oath of office and secrecy to the new ministers at the swearing-in ceremony at the Jyoti-Bishnu Antarjatik Kala Mandir in Guwahati.
The four new inductees in the Sarma-led Cabinet are Nilima Devi, MLA from Mangaldai Assembly constituency in Darrang district; former Assam Assembly Speaker and Tamulpur MLA, Biswajit Daimary; Thowra MLA Sushanta Borgohain and Golakganj MLA, Ashwini Ray Sarkar.
The other MLAs inducted in the Cabinet include former ministers, Ashok Singhal, Bimal Borah, Jayanta Malla Baruah, Kaushik Rai, Keshab Mahanta, Krishnendu Paul, Pijush Hazarika and Ranoj Pegu.
Under constitutional provisions, the maximum permissible strength of the ministry in the 126-member Assam Legislative Assembly is 19.
It may be recalled that following NDA’s emphatic victory in the Assam Assembly elections last month, Himanta Biswa Sarma had, on May 12, taken oath as Assam Chief Minister for the second consecutive term in the presence of the Prime Minister, Union home minister and several other Union ministers and chief ministers of the Northeast and other NDA-ruled states of the country.
Besides, Rameshwar Teli, Atul Bora, Charan Boro and Ajanta Neog also took the oath of office as Cabinet ministers in the Sarma-led NDA government on that day.
Seventeen ministers in the Assam Cabinet are from BJP, two are from Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) while one minister is from Bodoland People’s Front (BPF).
Assam Cabinet Strength Goes Up To 17 Ministers; Governor Administers OATH To 12 More Legislators
