Twelve new ministers were inducted into the Himanta Biswa Sarma-led government in Assam on Friday taking the total strength of the cabinet to 17.
The new ministers were administered oath of office and secrecy by Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya at a swearing-in ceremony in Guwahati.
Sarma had taken oath along with four other ministers, Rameshwar Teli, Atul Bora, Ajanta Neog and Charan Boro, on May 12. While Teli and Neog are from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Bora and Boro represent the ruling partners, Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and Bodoland Peoples Front (BPF), respectively.
The new ministers who took oath on Friday were, Ashwini Ray Sarkar, Ashok Singhal, Bimal Borah, Biswajit Daimary, Jayanta Malla Baruah, Kaushik Rai, Keshav Mahanta, Krishnendu Paul, Nilima Devi, Pijush Hazarika, Ranoj Pegu and Susanta Borgohain. Portfolios of the new ministers are expected to be announced soon.
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Apart from the new faces Sarkar, Devi, Borgohain and Daimary, the remaining eight were part of the previous government. Ministers in the previous government who were omitted include Chandra Mohan Patowary, Prasanta Phukan and Rupesh Gowala.
{{/usCountry}}Apart from the new faces Sarkar, Devi, Borgohain and Daimary, the remaining eight were part of the previous government. Ministers in the previous government who were omitted include Chandra Mohan Patowary, Prasanta Phukan and Rupesh Gowala.
{{/usCountry}}Two Congress heavyweights, Pradyut Bordoloi, a former MP who resigned and joined BJP just days ahead of polls, and Bhupen Kumar Borah, former state unit chief of the grand old party, who won from Dispur and Bihpuria respectively, were also left out.
With the expansion, BJP now has 14 ministers in the cabinet while AGP has two and BPF one. Apart from Atul Bora, Keshav Mahanta is the other MLA from AGP who has been included. Both were part of the earlier government as well.
The cabinet now has two women, social welfare minister Neog and Devi, president of BJP’s women wing who entered the assembly for the first time by winning from Mangaldai.