New Assam govt to be formed after May 11, says Himanta Sarma

Guwahati, May 6 (IANS) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday said the formation and swearing-in of the new BJP-led government in the state would take place after May 11, following completion of the constitutional and organisational formalities.  

Speaking to reporters after submitting his resignation to Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya, Sarma said the Election Commission had formally notified the Assembly poll results, after which he tendered the resignation of his Council of Ministers in line with democratic traditions.

“The Election Commission has officially declared the results and submitted the notification to the Governor. Immediately after that, I submitted my resignation as Chief Minister and also recommended dissolution of the present Assam Legislative Assembly,” Sarma said.

He added that the Governor accepted both recommendations and asked the outgoing ministry to continue as a caretaker government until the new ministry takes charge.

“We will continue as a caretaker government during this transition period till the new government is formed,” he said.

Sarma, however, indicated that the swearing-in ceremony would not take place before May 11. “I have heard discussions about May 12, though I cannot officially confirm the date. But I can say that the formation of the new government and swearing-in will happen after May 11,” he said.

The Chief Minister said a meeting of the BJP Legislature Party would be held in the presence of BJP's former national president J.P. Nadda and Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, who have been appointed as central observers.

He said the BJP Legislature Party would elect its leader, following which an NDA meeting would formally endorse the candidate before staking a claim to form the government.

“The Governor will then invite the elected leader to form the ministry. Only after these constitutional steps are completed will decisions regarding the composition of the new Cabinet be taken,” Sarma added.

He said the date of the Legislature Party meeting would be announced shortly by the BJP central leadership.

The BJP-led NDA returned to power in Assam with a massive mandate, securing a comfortable majority in the 126-member Assembly.

--IANS

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