Suspense over Assam CM ends, Himanta Biswa Sarma elected as leader of BJP legislature party

Himanta Biswa Sharma (R) with Sarbananda Sonowal during an election campaign rally in April 2021 (PTI Photo)

New Delhi: The suspense over the new Assam Chief Minister ended as Himanta Biswa Sarma has been elected as the leader of the BJP legislature party on Sunday (May 9, 2021).

The announcement was made by Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar during the BJP Legislative Party meeting at the Assam Legislative Assembly.

Himanta Biswa Sarma will serve as the 15th Chief Minister of Assam. 

The Jalukbari MLA retained his seat in the Assam assembly election 2021 by defeating his former party Indian National Congress' Romen Chanda Borthakur by 1,01,911 seats.

The development came hours after Sarbananda Sonowal tendered his resignation to Governor Jagdish Chandra Mukhi.

"With the blessings of the people, tendered my resignation as the Chief Minister of Assam to the Hon`ble Governor Shri @jagdishmukhi ji in Raj Bhavan, Guwahati," Sonowal tweeted. 

With the blessings of the people, tendered my resignation as the Chief Minister of Assam to the Hon'ble Governor Shri @jagdishmukhi ji in Raj Bhavan, Guwahati. pic.twitter.com/t4cu5jsfjQ — Sarbananda Sonowal (@sarbanandsonwal) May 9, 2021

Party National Organising Secretary BL Santosh, Vice President Baijayant Jay Panda were also present in the meeting with the newly-elected BJP MLAs of the state.

The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) secured a comfortable majority in Assam and won 75 seats of the total 126 constituencies. While the saffron party took 60 seats, about 33 per cent, its allies Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and United People`s Party, Liberal (UPPL) bagged nine and six seats respectively.