Son of the soil Sarbananda Sonowal takes oath as Assam CM today

Sarbananda Sonowal is set to become the second tribal chief minister of Assam.

 

The BJP along with coalition partner Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and the Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) will take oath at an open ceremony at the Khanapara Veterinary ground in Guwahati at 4 pm today.

 

The swearing –in ceremony is likely to be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president Amit Shah, Chief Ministers of the BJP-ruled states, Chief Ministers of neighbouring states. Diplomats from Bangladesh, Myanmar and Bhutan are also expected join the ceremony.

 

Outgoing CM Tarun Gogoi might join the function.

 

About 20, 000 people are likely to gather at the ground including more than 400 VVIPs.

 

Sonowal started his career with the Assam movement as a member of the All Assam Students Union (AASU)  and later joined the parent party the AGP in 2001.

 

A major highlight of his career has been that he successfully challenged the Illegal Migrants (Determination by Tribunals) (IMDT) Act. Later  the Supreme Court had struck down the act in 2005 as unconstitutional.  

The 54-year old leader was elected as MLA in 2001 and MP in  2004 on AGP ticket.

 

Later Sonowal joined the BJP in 2011 and was elected to Lok Sabha again in 2014. He was inducted into PM Modi’s cabinet.

 

And this year he was named as the party’s Chief Ministerial candidate.

 

For the BJP, it is no less historic as it entered the mainstream politics of the most populous state of north-east and won it too. BJP has also successfully worked on a maha-gatbandhan alliance between a Bodo-dominant party and the AGP.

 

The challenge for the new Assam government would be re-look at the illegal immigrant issue, keep the multiparty alliance working and last but not least ensure developmental projects roll.