UPDATE: 4:30 p.m. IST —
BJP leader Sarbananda Sonowal was reportedly sworn in as the chief minister of Assam at an event in Guwahati's Khanpara locality on Tuesday. Eleven cabinet ministers also taken oath on the occasion.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi reportedly attended Sarbananda Sonowal's swearing-in ceremony. BJP leaders including veteran L K Advani, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP President Amit Shah, Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu and Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Venkaiah Naidu were also in attendance.
Original Story —
The Bhartiya Janata Party's (BJP) Assam Legislature Party leader Sarbananda Sonowal is all set to make electoral history as he takes oath as the chief minister of the state at an event on Tuesday, the Statesman reported. This will be the first time a BJP-led alliance will form a government in the north-eastern state.
The 11 ministers who will reportedly be taking oath on Tuesday include seven BJP ministers —among them is former Congress leader Himanta Biswa Sharma, who is credited with adding fire to the BJP campaign — and two each from alliance partners Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and Bodoland People's Front (BPF).
The Statesman reported that the AGP and the BPF wanted five and four of their legislators in the Cabinet, respectively.
The event, which will be held at the Veterinary College Ground at Khanpara in Guwahati, will witness the swearing-in of Sonowal along with the 11 ministers. The event will reportedly be attended by over 100 VVIPs including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP President Amit Shah, yoga guru Ramdev, Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, chief ministers of the north-eastern states and National Democratic Alliance (NDA)-ruled states, and several union ministers and BJP veterans.
According to NDTV, Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu have confirmed their attendance. Former chief minister of Assam Tarun Gogoi will also attend Tuesday's event. Sonowal had personally invited the 80-year-old Congress leader and also sought his blessings.
The New Indian Express reports that the whole of Guwahati has been given a new look with banners and hoardings of NDA leaders displayed all over the city. Over 1 lakh people are expected to attend the event. The city has apparently been turned into a security fortress with CCTV cameras installed everywhere.
NDTV reported that two separate enclosures have been built for the dignitaries. The met department has predicted light rain because of which the entire venue will be covered. The venue will reportedly have huge LED screens put up in the middle. The oath-taking ceremony will be preceded by a cultural programme of Assamese music and dance.
The BJP created history by winning 60 of the 126 assembly seats on May 19. Alliance partners AGP and BPF won 14 and 12 seats, respectively, according to Election Commission data, taking the coalition's total to 86.
Sonowal had met PB Acharya, the governor of Assam, on Sunday to stake claim to form the next government in the state, the Statesman reported.
The event will be held at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
