Assam Governor accepts CM’s Resignation, asks him to Continue as Caretaker

Oath-taking ceremony likely on May 12 in PM’s presence

Staff Reporter

Guwahati: Accepting the resignation letter of outgoing Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma today, Assam Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya asked him to continue as the caretaker chief minister until the formation of the new government.

It is a constitutional requirement for the outgoing council of ministers, headed by the chief minister, to tender their resignation to pave the way for the formation of a new government. The Governor also accepted the request of the chief minister to dissolve the 15th Assam Assembly.

After submitting his resignation, the chief minister said, “The new government will not be formed before May 11. On May 9 or 10, the BJP legislature party will hold a meeting to select its leader in the presence of central observer JP Nadda. As the Chief Election Officer, Assam, submitted the list of candidates, it became mandatory for the council of ministers to resign. We have to follow many constitutional norms to form a new government, and during this transition time, I will assume the duties of a caretaker chief minister.”

BJP sources said that although it was not mentioned, the new government is likely to take the oath of office on May 12, and it is almost certain that the Prime Minister will be present on the occasion.

The Chief Minister further said, “The next five years will be a golden period for Assam. In the first five years of the BJP government, we planned the development projects, and in the next five years, we grounded them. Now, in the coming five years we will dedicate several projects to the people, like the Dhubri-Phulbari bridge, the Kuruwa-Narengi bridge, the underground tunnel across the Brahmaputra River, the Guwahati Ring Road, the Kaziranga elevated corridor, the semiconductor unit, etc. We’ll also take up many new projects. We’ll fulfil all the commitments made during our election campaign.”

He also said that the BJP government’s stance against the Bangladeshi migrants and encroachment will remain the same. The eviction drives, as well as the Bangladeshi pushback drive, will also continue, he said, adding, “Our fight is not against the Indian or indigenous Muslims. Our fight is against the Bangladeshi Muslims. The delimitation exercise in 103 constituencies was done in such a manner that Hindu voters were the deciding factor. The impact of this exercise was seen in the election, where the NDA won 102 seats.”

Also Read: JP Nadda Appointed Central Observer for Assam: BJP Begins Government Formation Talks, Swearing-In Likely by May 10