Prime Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday announced that four new faces will be among the 12 ministers to be appointed in the Assam government on Friday.
This appointment will increase the number of cabinet members to 17 ministers, with two positions remaining vacant in the government consisting of 19 ministers.
Sarma had taken oath along with four ministers as the head of the third consecutive BJP-led government on May 12.
“I am pleased to announce that the following honorable members of the Assam Legislative Assembly will be sworn in as Ministers of the Assam Government on June 5 at 12:45 pm,” the Prime Minister posted on X.
The new ministers to be appointed are Ashwini Rai Sarkar, Ashok Singhal, Bimal Bora, Biswajit Daimari, Jayanta Malla Baruah, Kaushik Rai, Keshab Mahanta, Krishnendu Paul, Neelima Devi, Bijosh Hazarika, Ranoj Begu and Suzhanta Borgohain.
Among them, Ashwini Rai Sarkar, former association president Biswajit Daimari, Susanta Borgohain and Neelima Devi are the new faces. Among those excluded are Chandra Mohan Patwari, who was a minister in the previous two BJP-led governments, and senior BJP leader Prasanta Phukan.
Demarai’s inclusion was expected, although there were some doubts in the past few days following allegations of corruption in appointments and contracts during his term as president of the association from 2021 to 2026.
Neelima Devi, a first-time MLA from Mangaldai seat and a senior women leader of the BJP, is the surprise inclusion in the government. She will be the second female minister after Ajanta Neog, who was sworn in on May 12.
Among the new ministers, Keshab Mahanta, from coalition partner Asom Gana Parishad, will be the second minister from his party in the government after Atul Bora. Charan Bodo, who belongs to another ruling ally, the Bodoland People’s Front, is his party’s sole representative in the government.
There was speculation that two senior Congress leaders, Pradyut Bordoloi and Bhupen Kumar Bora, who switched to the BJP a few days before the elections, would be appointed to the ministry. But neither of them was mentioned in the list announced by Sarma.
