Guwahati, May 29: Nearly three weeks after the BJP-led coalition achieved a stunning victory in the Assam Assembly elections, the eagerly awaited cabinet expansion for Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s council of ministers is yet to take place, illustrating the careful political calculations the ruling coalition must make.
Although Himanta Biswa Sarma and four other ministers were sworn in on May 12, the entire cabinet has not yet been formed. The delay has led to rampant speculation in political circles, with party insiders suggesting the expansion may occur in the first week of June.
Only Himanta Biswa Sarma and four ministers have been sworn in so far: Rameswar Teli and Ajanta Neog from the BJP, Atul Bora from allied partner Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), and Charan Boro from the Bodoland People’s Front (BPF).
Sources in the ruling alliance claim that although the general framework for the cabinet is already established, ongoing political negotiations involving alliance partners, regional representation, caste and community issues, and demands for new entrants are preventing the finalisation of the list.
“The list is almost final. The Assembly session also contributed to the delay. The expansion is anticipated very soon, likely within the first week of June,” stated a senior party leader who has been privy to the discussions.
The challenge facing the BJP this time is considerable.
Unlike previous terms, the party has won power with a stronger mandate, but this has come with increased expectations from its allies. The AGP, which traditionally secured two cabinet positions in both the 2016 and 2021 elections, is expected to demand comparable representation. The BPF, which rejoined the BJP-led alliance before the elections, is also expected to push for a larger share in the new government.
Adding to the complexity is the fact that the BJP itself has a large pool of hopeful candidates.
Senior legislators who were instrumental in the election campaign, as well as first-time winners and leaders from regions that were key to the alliance’s victory, are reportedly under consideration. The leadership is reportedly also inclined to include new faces to project a sense of generational change and to reward rising stars.
Political observers point out that in Assam, the formation of the cabinet is rarely solely about administration and often reflects the state’s intricate social and regional fabric.
Besides managing its allies, the BJP leadership is likely to pay careful attention to representation from Upper Assam, Lower Assam, Barak Valley, Bodoland, and minority-dominated areas. Representation from various communities and efforts to ensure gender balance are also expected to influence the final list.
Within the party, the delay is being interpreted not as a disagreement, but rather as an effort to ensure that all interests are catered to without disturbing the delicate equilibrium that ensured the alliance’s decisive victory.
With the conclusion of the Assembly session and ongoing consultations nearing their end, attention is now focused on New Delhi for the final approval of the cabinet expansion from the BJP’s central leadership.
For Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, the expansion is more than just filling vacant ministerial posts; it’s about assembling a team that reflects the alliance’s electoral triumph while maintaining political stability across a coalition that now enters a new term with heightened expectations and a much stronger mandate.
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