Himanta Biswa Sarma Steps Down as Assam CM; NDA Govt to Take Oath on May 12

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday stepped down from office, submitting his resignation to Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya, paving the way for the formation of a new government after the NDA’s decisive victory in the Assembly elections.

The development came after the Chief Electoral Officer formally presented the election results to the Governor earlier in the day, triggering the constitutional process for government formation.

The National Democratic Alliance secured a resounding mandate, winning 102 seats in the 126-member Assam Assembly, marking its third consecutive term in power. The Bharatiya Janata Party emerged as the principal force with 82 seats, while its partners, the Asom Gana Parishad and the Bodoland Peoples Front, secured 10 seats each.

Sarma is widely expected to be re-elected as Chief Minister. A meeting of newly elected BJP MLAs is likely to be convened shortly to formalise the leadership decision.

Following this, the Governor is expected to invite the NDA to form the next government. The swearing-in ceremony of the newly formed BJP-led alliance government in Assam is scheduled for May 12.

On the opposition front, Sarma indicated that the Indian National Congress may fall short of the numbers required for the post of Leader of the Opposition. With 19 MLAs, the party does not meet the minimum requirement of 22 members, raising the possibility that the Assembly may function without a formally recognised Leader of the Opposition, even though parties will appoint their respective legislative leaders

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