Steering BJP to power for the first time in the north east, Sarbananda Sonowal was today sworn in as the 14th chief minister of Assam heading a 11- member ministry that also included representatives of allies AGP and Bodo Peoples Front (BPF).
Watched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP chief Amit Shah, senior BJP leader L K Advani, party chief ministers and leaders of NDA allies, 54-year-old Sonowal and his ministers were administered the oath of secrecy by Governor Padmanabha Balakrishna Acharya at a well attended public function at Khanapara field here. He took his oath in Assamese.
Along with Sonowal, 10 ministers including from alliance partners Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and BPF took their oath of office.
The six from BJP to take oath as ministers were Himanta Biswa Sarma, a party strategist who quit Congress last year, Chandra Mohan Patowary, Ranjit Dutta, Parimal Suklabaidya, Pallab Lochan Das and Naba Kumar Doley.
The two from AGP to be sworn-in were Atul Bora (Jr) and Kesab Mahanta, while the two from BPF were Pramila Rani Brahma and Rihan Daimary.
Brahma and Daimari took their oaths in Bodo and Suklabaidya in Bengali while the rest, in Assamese.
Outgoing Congress chief minister Tarun Gogoi was also present at the function.
Addressing the gathering after the function, Modi said the Centre would extend all assistance to ensure to bring about speedy development of Assam along with all north eastern states as part of Act East Policy.
"Assam will be the centre point to bring about effective all-round development of the entire North East and this region will emerge as powerfully developed part of the country as a part of our Act East Policy," he said.
Sonowal in his speech said his government will work towards making the state free from illegal migrants and corruption.
"It is our commitment to make Assam free from illegal foreigners and corruption free in coming days. We are determined that we will succeed," he said.
Other dignitaries present were Union Ministers Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari, Suresh Prabhu, Ram Vilas Paswan, Venkaiah Naidu, Nirmala Seetharaman, Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Jitendra Singh, Jayant Sinha, Kiren Rijjiju and V K Singh.
BJP chief ministers Shivraj Singh Chouhan (Madhya Pradesh), Vasundhara Raje Scindia (Rajasthan), Anandiben Patel (Gujarat), Devendra Fadnavis (Maharastra), Manohar Lal Khattar (Haryana), Raman Singh (Chattisgarh), Raghubar Das (Jharkhand) and Laxmikant Parsekar (Goa) attended the event.
Also present were chief ministers of alliance parties Parkash Singh Badal (Punjab) and Chandrababu Naidu of Andhra Pradesh.
Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Kaliko Pul and Sikkim Chief Minister P K Chamling were also present, besides former Jharkhand chief minister Arjun Munda and former Bihar deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi.
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