Guwahati (Assam) [India], May 11 (ANI): Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday said the growing strength of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in eastern India is clearly visible, as he arrived in Guwahati to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Assam Chief Minister-designate Himanta Biswa Sarma, who is set to begin his second consecutive term on Tuesday.
Speaking to reporters upon his arrival, Fadnavis credited the BJP’s “unprecedented” third consecutive victory in Assam to the developmental vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the leadership of Himanta Biswa Sarma.
“I am very happy that the BJP government has come to power in Assam for the third consecutive time, and tomorrow our popular Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, will take oath. The way change has come to Assam under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, Himanta Biswa Sarma has made efforts to fulfil the hopes of development in Assam, and because of that, the BJP has achieved this kind of unprecedented victory. I extend my best wishes to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who will take the oath tomorrow. I am confident that in this term as well, he will take Assam to new heights and Assam will progress a lot,” he said.
Highlighting the BJP’s expansion in eastern India, Fadnavis said the party’s rising footprint in the region reflects both political acceptance and developmental politics, also referring to its growth in West Bengal as part of the larger eastern narrative.
“The rise of the BJP in the East is evident to us, in which the most important link was Bengal, and the way the government has been formed in Bengal, it was not only very necessary for the BJP but also for India… A worker like me is very happy from the heart,” he said.
Earlier in the day, Fadnavis also visited the Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati and offered prayers to Goddess Kamakhya ahead of the swearing-in ceremony.
Himanta Biswa Sarma will take oath as the Chief Minister of Assam for a second successive term on May 12 after Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya approved his appointment following the BJP’s landslide victory in the state assembly elections.
According to an official notification issued by the Parliamentary Affairs Department, Government of Assam, the Governor has appointed Sarma as Chief Minister under Article 164(1) of the Constitution of India. The swearing-in ceremony will take place at 11:40 AM on May 12 at Veterinary College Field, Khanapara in Guwahati. (ANI)