Himanta Biswa Sarma was unanimously elected as the leader of the BJP legislature party in Assam on Sunday, clearing the way for him to take oath as Chief Minister for a second consecutive term on May 12.

The announcement was made by Union Minister and former BJP president J. P. Nadda after a meeting of newly elected BJP MLAs in Guwahati attended by central observers appointed by the party leadership.

The BJP had named Nadda and Nayab Singh Saini as central observers for the legislature party meeting. Soon after the discussions concluded, Nadda confirmed that the legislators had unanimously backed Sarma’s leadership for another term.

The development comes after the BJP registered a strong performance in the recently held Assam Assembly elections. The party, which is part of the NDA alliance, won 82 seats on its own in the 126-member Assembly, comfortably retaining power in the state.

Alliance partners Asom Gana Parishad and Bodoland People’s Front also extended support to Sarma, continuing as Chief Minister. Leaders from both parties attended the meeting and reiterated their commitment to the NDA alliance in Assam.

Himanta Biswa Sarma’s second term

Sarma has emerged as one of the BJP’s most influential faces in the Northeast since taking over as Assam Chief Minister in 2021. Under his leadership, the BJP strengthened its political presence across the region and deepened alliances with regional parties.

Before joining the BJP in 2015, Sarma was a senior Congress leader and served as a minister in the government led by former Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi. His switch to the BJP is widely seen as a major turning point in the party’s expansion strategy in the Northeast.

Sarma is scheduled to take oath as Chief Minister on May 12 along with members of his new Council of Ministers. The swearing-in ceremony is expected to mark the beginning of the BJP-led government’s second consecutive term in Assam.

With IANS inputs