First meeting of his council of ministers one day after taking oath, and Assam’s 17th chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Wednesday chose to abolish all check gates which had become hubs of syndicates and illegal activities during the previous regime.
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The BJP has formed its first government in North-east.
MLAs P Phukan, Atul Bora, Angoorlata Dela, Bhabesh Kalita and AC Jain supported Sonowal’s name.
Shah, who led party to victory in several states but under whom BJP suffered massive losses in Delhi and Bihar, also rejected the contention that it was at a disadvantage in Uttarakhand following its failed bid to topple the Harish Rawat government. The oath taking ceremony is scheduled to take place on May 24 and a host of dignitaries, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is slated to be in attendance.
The new Government will be sworn in on Tuesday at the Veterinary College Ground at Khanapara. “We will now strengthen the party”, Gogoi said. He is there for us in our every need. “We will strike a balance without compromising on his security”, DGP Mukesh Sahay said.
Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has kept the home and political department with him while he has given important portfolios like finance, planning and development, health and family welfare as well as the education department to Himanta Biswa Sarma.
“The President, as advised by the Prime Minister, has accepted the resignation of Sarbananda Sonowal, Minister of State (Independent Charge) of Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, from the Council of Ministers, with immediate effect”.
“Whenever elections are held in the state, the BJP will win with thumping majority”, he stressed.
Among prominent losers from the Congress include former Union minister Paban Singh Ghatowar, former State ministers like Pradyut Bordoloi, Gautam Roy, Sarat Barkataki, Bharat Chandra Narah, Atowa Munda, Chandan Kumar Sarkar, Nurzamal Sarkar, Tanka Bahadur Rai, Prithibi Majhi, Bishmita Gogoi, Ajit Singh, Siddique Ahmed, Pranati Phukan etc.
At least two of the ministers, Ranjit Dutta (cabinet rank) and Pallab Lochan Das (MoS) have announced that they would not use the beacon (red light) on their official vehicles.
Asked if there will be change of leadership in Gujarat, he said the issue had not been discussed.
The decisions were taken at Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal’s first meeting with his council of Ministers on Wednesday.
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A bachelor, Sonowal was included in the Union Cabinet though it left many senior party members from the state none too happy considering that he had joined the BJP only in 2011.
