By NE NOW NEWS
Guwahati: Assam Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya on Sunday invited Chief Minister-elect Himanta Biswa Sarma to form the next government in the state, paving the way for the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to begin its third consecutive term.
The development came after leaders of the NDA met the Governor at Lok Bhavan and formally staked claim to form the government with Sarma as leader of the alliance legislature party.
In an official statement, Lok Bhavan said the Governor had invited Sarma to form the new government and would administer the oath of office and secrecy to him and members of the new Council of Ministers on May 12 in Guwahati.
The swearing-in ceremony is expected to be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and other senior Bharatiya Janata Party leaders.
The NDA secured a commanding mandate in the recently concluded Assembly elections, winning 102 seats in the 126-member House. The BJP won 82 seats, while its allies, the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and Bodoland People’s Front (BPF), secured 10 seats each.
The new government will mark the NDA’s third successive term in Assam since the alliance first came to power in 2016 under former Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal.
Sarma, who assumed office in 2021, is also set to become the first non-Congress Chief Minister in Assam to serve two consecutive terms.