Guwahati, May 12 (IANS) Leaders of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) have started arriving in Guwahati for the swearing-in ceremony of Himanta Biswa Sarma as the Chief Minister of Assam for a second consecutive term.

The ceremony will be held in Khanapara at around 11:40 a.m.

In addition to Sarma, four ministers will also take the oath of office — two from the BJP and one each from their allies, the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and the Bodoland People’s Front (BPF).

These include Rameswar Teli, Atul Bora from AGP, Charan Boro from BPF, and Ajanta Neog. Ranjeet Kumar Dass, a former minister and prominent BJP figure, will represent the NDA as the candidate for the role of Speaker of the state Assembly.

This is the second time Sarma will take oath as the Chief Minister of Assam, while it is the third consecutive time that a BJP-led government is being formed in the state.

Several senior leaders, including Union Ministers and Chief Ministers from National Democratic Alliance-ruled states, have started arriving in Assam to attend the ceremony.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, as well as BJP National President Nitin Nabin, will also be present during the oath-taking event, which Bharatiya Janata Party leaders have described as a major political occasion for the party in the Northeast.

Notably, US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor have also arrived in Guwahati for the oath ceremony.

Additionally, Delhi CM Rekha Gupta, Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu, Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu, Chhattisgarh CM Vishnu Deo Sai, Meghalaya Deputy CM Prestone Tynsong, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha, and West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari will also attend the swearing-in of the newly-elected government in Assam.

Speaking to IANS, Delhi CM Rekha Gupta said, “It seems that people’s trust and Maa Kamakhya Devi’s blessings are behind our hat-trick in Assam. PM Modi and Himanta Biswa Sarma’s hardwork will take Assam to greater heights of progress, where everyone will have all the facilities and the state will witness more progress.”

IPRA Motha Party founder Pradyot Bikram Manikya Deb Barma also arrived in Guwahati for the swearing-in ceremony. Speaking to IANS, he said, “I only want the welfare of the Northeast. Whoever comes to power should remember one thing: if we think beyond politics and parties and focus first on our country and our region, then development will happen for everyone. This is my belief, and I hope that the overall development of Assam will lead to the overall development of the Northeast.”

Tight security arrangements have been made for the event.

The NDA, comprising the BJP, AGP and BPF, secured a landmark victory in the recently concluded Assembly elections in the state, winning 102 seats in the 126-member House.

The BJP alone won 82 Assembly seats, while AGP and BPF won 10 seats each.

–IANS

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