Himanta Biswa Sarma

Assam cabinet approves UCC bill, certain tribes to be exempt: Himanta Sarma

The Assam Cabinet on Wednesday approved the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in the state, but the tribal population will be kept outside its purview, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said. The UCC Bill will be laid before the new legislative assembly on May 26, the chief minister said at a press conference here after chairing the first cabinet meeting of his second term as the head of the government. "This is a major decision taken in the first cabinet meeting and aligns with the commitment we made during the elections," he said. Sarma said Uttarakhand, Goa and Gujarat have already implemented the UCC, but his government has customised it for the requirements of Assam. ''We have completely exempted the tribal population from the purview of UCC. All rituals, traditions and customs practised by the people of Assam outside the scope of UCC,'' he said. The UCC will deal with succession, marriage, live-in relationships and compulsory registration of marriage and divorc

Himanta Biswa Sarma takes oath as Assam CM for second straight term

Himanta Biswa Sarma was sworn in as the chief minister of Assam for the second consecutive term on Tuesday. Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya administered the oath of office to Sarma at a grand ceremony held at the Veterinary Ground in Khanapara area in Guwahati. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union ministers Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari, Sarbananda Sonowal, Pabitra Margherita, chief ministers and deputy chief ministers of BJP-ruled states and BJP president Nitin Nabin were present at the swearing-in ceremony. The swearing-in ceremony marks the formation of the third successive NDA government in the state. Sarma's mother Mrinalini Devi, wife Riniki Bhuyan Sharma, son Nandil Biswa Sarma and daughter Sukanya Sarma were also present on the occasion. The NDA won a record 102 MLAs of the 126-member assembly, including 82 from the BJP. The BJP allies, the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and the Bodoland Peoples' Front (BPF), bagged 10 seats each.

Four ministers to take oath in new Assam govt along with CM Sarma today

BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma will take oath as chief minister of Assam on Tuesday, along with four ministers two from the saffron party and one each from its allies AGP and BPF. This will be the third NDA government in Assam, to be led by Sarma as the chief minister for the second consecutive term, the only non-Congress CM to achieve the feat in the state. Former minister and senior BJP leader Ranjeet Kumar Dass will be the NDA's candidate for the position of Speaker of the state Assembly, Sarma said in a post on X. "Happy to announce that the following four colleagues of mine will take oath as Ministers tomorrow along with me in the august presence of Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi Ji - Shri Rameswar Teli Shri Atul Bora Shri Charan Boro Smt Ajanta Neog," the CM-designate said. Bora is the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) president and Boro is a Bodoland People's Front (BPF) MLA, and both were ministers in the previous NDA government. Neog was also a minister in the previous

Himanta Biswa Sarma elected NDA leader, set to return as Assam CM

Himanta Biswa Sarma was elected as the leader of the BJP-led NDA in the Assam assembly on Sunday, paving the way for him to become the chief minister for the second consecutive term in the state, Union minister J P Nadda said. Eight BJP legislators proposed the name of Sarma as its legislature party leader, Nadda said. Earlier, the Assam BJP's legislature party met here in the morning to elect its leader, who will also head the new government in the northeastern state. Nadda and Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini were present at the meeting as central observers and co-observers. The BJP partners in the alliance, Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and Bodoland People's Front (BPF), also supported Sarma's nomination, leading to his unanimous election as the NDA leader, Nadda said. Sarma and other NDA leaders are scheduled to call on Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya at the Lok Bhawan later on Sunday to discuss matters pertaining to government formation, officials said. They are expected

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Swearing-in ceremony of new BJP-led Assam govt to be held on May 12

The swearing-in ceremony of the newly elected BJP-led NDA government in Assam will be held on May 12, Chief Secretary Ravi Kota said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, several union ministers, chief ministers and deputy CMs of BJP-ruled states, and representatives from industries are expected to attend the function. The oath-taking ceremony is scheduled to be held at the Veterinary Field, Khanapara, he said. "Chaired a comprehensive review meeting with the DGP, Assam today to assess preparedness for the forthcoming visit of the Hon'ble Prime Minister to attend the swearing-in ceremony of the newly elected Council of Ministers", Kota posted on X on Wednesday night. Arrangements related to security, traffic management, venue readiness, protocol, and inter-departmental coordination were discussed in detail, he said. ''Emphasised the need for seamless execution, strict adherence to established protocols, and close coordination among all stakeholders," Kota said. All departments concerned

Himanta resigns as Assam CM, oath-taking ceremony likely after May 11

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday resigned along with his cabinet colleagues, paving the way for formation of a new government led by the BJP, officials said. The BJP-led NDA bagged 102 seats in the 126-member assembly. The assembly elections were held in a single phase on April 9, and counting of votes took place on May 4. "Following the formal notification of the results of #AssamElections2026 and to enable the formation of the new government, Dr @himantabiswa tendered his resignation as Chief Minister along with that of the council of Ministers to Hon'ble Governor Shri @Laxmanacharya54 today at Lok Bhawan," the Chief Minister's Office said in a post on X. The Governor has accepted the resignation, and requested Sarma to continue as the caretaker CM till the new government assumes office, it said. Later, speaking to reporters outside the Lok Bhawan, Sarma said the oath-taking ceremony is likely to take place after May 11. "As it was a historic win, we have ..

Storytelling, Gen Z tactics: BJP's strategy behind Himanta's win in Assam

BJP's digital team fundamentally reshaped the narrative in Assam by dominating the digital landscape with high-impact, strategic content

Delimitation key factor for NDA's landslide win in Assam elections

The delimitation of constituencies to reduce the impact of minority candidates in their earlier strongholds is one among the many factors that led to the NDA's stupendous performance in the Assam polls, securing a record win of 102 seats in the 126-member assembly. The 2023 delimitation exercise, which redrew and realigned constituencies with some earlier Muslim-majority seats getting reserved for indigenous communities, played a significant role in the increase of seats for the BJP and its allies in the just-concluded assembly polls. The minority votebank played a key role, particularly for the Congress and AIUDF, in all previous assembly polls in 35 seats but delimitation reduced its influence to less than 25. The 24 seats that the opposition won, mostly in constituencies unaffected by delimitation, include 22 Muslim candidates with both the Congress and AIUDF showing a sharp decline in their erstwhile bastions. The realignment led to the fragmentation of Muslim-majority ...

Assam Assembly election results 2026: BJP navigates the fiscal tightrope

The party, which is set to return to power in the state, has also pledged to set up one university in each district and appoint more teachers to strengthen the education sector

Assam CM's wife defamation case: SC grants anticipatory bail to Pawan Khera

Earlier, the Supreme Court had declined to extend the transit anticipatory bail granted to Khera by the Telangana High Court, directing him to approach the competent court in Assam

Bangladesh summons Indian envoy over remarks of Assam CM Himanta Sarma

The acting Indian envoy was summoned on Thursday afternoon, during which the protest was formally conveyed by Bangladeshi officials

SC reserves order on Cong leader Pawan Khera's plea for anticipatory bail

The Supreme Court on Thursday reserved its order on a plea of Congress leader Pawan Khera seeking anticipatory bail in a case registered against him related to allegations that Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's wife possessed multiple passports and undisclosed properties abroad. A bench of Justices JK Maheshwari and AS Chandurkar reserved its decision on the plea after the Congress leader submitted that if he doesn't get anticipatory bail in a registered case against him, then the very purpose of pre-arrest bail is gone. Senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for Khera, said the allegations against him are a matter of trial and it was not necessary to humiliate him by arrest. He submitted that out of the total sections invoked against him, some are bailable while others don't require his arrest. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Assam government, opposed the plea and said Khera showed fake and doctored copies of passports of the chief minister's wife.

PM must clarify whether he endorses Sarma's remarks on Kharge: Priyanka

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday said the use of "abusive" language by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma against Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge is "utterly shameful" and added Prime Minister Narendra Modi must clarify whether he endorses this "insult". Sarma had triggered a row on Tuesday when he hit out at Kharge, saying that he was "speaking like a mad man" due to old age, after the latter put the onus on central agencies to probe the charges made against the Assam chief minister. In a post in Hindi on X, Priyanka Gandhi said, "The kind of abusive and derogatory language used by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma against the Congress president and Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Shri Mallikarjun Kharge, is utterly shameful and unacceptable." She said Kharge is one of the most senior leaders in the country and serves as an enlightened representative not only of the Congress party but also of the Dalits and the marginalised sections

From Congress bastion to BJP stronghold: How Assam's politics has evolved

Assam is set to vote on April 9 in a closely watched election, with the BJP aiming to retain power and the Congress hoping to regain ground in a state shaped by identity politics and alliances

Cong made allegations against my wife using false info from Pak: Assam CM

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday claimed the Congress has concocted the charge that his wife has multiple passports and owns properties in Dubai, using false information from a Pakistani social media group. He also alleged that Pakistan was trying to influence the outcome of the Assam elections. At a press conference here, a day after Congress leaders Pawan Khera and Gaurav Gogoi sought to know whether his wife or family owns property in Dubai, has companies in the USA, or has placed their assets in shell companies, Sarma said these charges have been made to influence the poll results, which is "punishable under the law". The BJP leader also alleged that the documents the Congress used to make the allegations against his wife were sourced from a social media group "Pakistanis in Ajman", and her photo was morphed on a lost passport of a person from that country. "I am concerned that they took the help of Pakistan. This is not a simple fraud case but a crime against

BJP's two-pronged approach in Assam ahead of high-stakes Assembly polls

BJP blends welfare outreach to women with identity politics in Assam, as Himanta Biswa Sarma eyes a second term amid rising concerns over polarisation

PM, Assam CM have roadmap for tribal development in Assam, win must: Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma have prepared a roadmap for tribal development, and the BJP's return to power in the state will ensure its implementation. Addressing a rally in Dudhnoi in Goalpara district, Shah said that the Congress never made an Adivasi woman the country's President, but Modi changed that and Droupadi Murmu became the nation's first citizen. "A roadmap has been prepared by the PM and the Assam CM for the development of tribals... Vote for the BJP to ensure it is taken forward and implemented," he said. Shah also asserted that tribal areas will not come under the ambit of the Uniform Civil Code. On the recent violence in the adjoining Garo hills of Meghalaya, Shah said that infiltrators sought to capture power in the Garo council by marrying tribal women, and this led to the strife. "Give us another five years in power in Assam, and we will rid the state of infiltrators a

Himanta 'most corrupt CM', running land ATM in Assam: Rahul Gandhi

Calling Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma the "most corrupt CM" in India, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday alleged that Sarma, along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, is running a "land ATM" in the state to give land to big corporates by snatching it from the public. Addressing an election rally here in support of party candidate Raton Engti for Bokajan constituency, he also said popular singer Zubeen Garg stood for Assam and its people, and the Congress party will deliver justice to him for his death within 100 days of coming to power in the state. "India's most corrupt CM is Himanta Biswa Sarma, and his family is also No 1 in corruption. The Congress government will take action against him. Though he is boasting himself now, he will be completely silent after that," Gandhi said. The Leader of the Opposition claimed that three big corporate houses have been handed over a total of 98,400 bighas of land in Assam. "These lands were ..

Assam govt declares public holiday on April 9 for assembly elections

The Assam government declared a public holiday on April 9 as assembly polls are scheduled on that day, according to notifications. The public holiday has been declared under Section 25 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881, according to a notification issued by the General Administration Department's Commissioner and Secretary, MS Manivann. All government and non-government offices, urban local bodies, educational institutions, business and commercial establishments, including banks, will remain closed on that day, according to the notification. Another notification issued by the Labour Welfare Department said April 9 will be a paid holiday in all factories, tea plantations, shops and public entertainment or amusement establishments. Polling for the 126-member assembly will be held on that day, with the counting of votes scheduled on May 4.