Himanta Biswa Sarma Re-elected as NDA Leader, Set to Continue as Assam CM

Himanta Biswa Sarma was elected as the leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the Assam Assembly on Sunday. This election paves the way for him to serve as the Chief Minister of Assam for a second consecutive term.

Sarma, often criticized for his hardline and far-right stance, announced that his oath-taking ceremony will take place on Tuesday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to attend the event. The BJP legislature party held a meeting in Guwahati, with central observer JP Nadda and co-observer Nayab Singh Saini present. Eight BJP legislators proposed Sarma's name as the legislature party leader.

The BJP-led NDA won the Assembly elections, securing 102 seats in the 126-member Assembly. The Congress-led bloc won 21 constituencies. Sarma's election comes amidst controversy, as he has faced criticism for his Islamophobic remarks and policies targeting Muslims in Assam. He has linked Bengali-origin Muslims to "demographic invasion" and defended eviction drives that disproportionately affected Muslim communities. Rights groups and opposition leaders have accused him of normalising hate speech and deepening communal polarisation in the state through his rhetoric and governance.