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Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Himanta Biswa Sarma sworn in as the 15th Chief Minister of Assam on 10 May 2021 after BJP and its allies won the majority mark in the recently concluded Assam Assembly Election.
Himanta Biswa Sarma is the current and the 15th Chief Minister of Assam. Governor of Assam Jagdish Mukhi administered the oath of office and secrecy to Himanta Biswa Sarma on 10 May 2021, the man behind BJP’s phenomenal rise in North-East. He was previously associated with Indian National Congress and joined Bharatiya Janata Party on 23 August 2015.
Himanta Biswa Sarma Biography
| Full Name: | Himanta Biswa Sarma (हिमन्त विश्व शर्मा) |
| Born: | 01 February 1969 Jorhat, Assam, India |
| Education: |
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| Profession: | Lawyer, Politician (Bharatiya Janata Party) |
| Parents: | Sh. Kailash Nath Sarma (Father) / Smt. Mrinalini Devi (Mother) |
| Spouse: | Riniki Bhuyan Sarma (m. 2001) |
| Religion: | Hindu |
| Children: | 1 Son & 1 Daughter |
| Awards, Honours, Achievements: | In September 2023, the Singapore government awarded Himanta Biswa Sarma with the prestigious Lee Kuan Yew Exchange Fellowship for his distinguished contribution to public service |
Himanta Biswa Sarma: Early Life & Education
Himanta Biswa Sarma was born on 1 February 1969 at Mission Hospital, Jorhat, Assam, India to Kailash Nath Sarma and Mrinalini Devi. He passed his senior secondary examination from Guwahati’s Kamrup Academy School in 1985. He completed his graduation and post-graduation in Political Science from Cotton College, Guwahati in 1990 and 1992 respectively. During his post-grad, he served as the General Secretary of Cotton college Student’s Union. He earned his L.L.B. degree from Government Law College, Guwahati and obtained Ph.D. degree from Gauhati University. Before entering into politics, Sarma practised at Gauhati High Court from 1996 to 2001.
Political Career:
Himanta Biswa Sarma was elected to the Assam Legislative Assembly from Jalukbari Assembly Constituency for the first time in 2001 after defeating Bhrigu Kumar Phukan of Asom Gana Parishad. He was re-elected from the same constituency in 2006, and 2011 on Congress ticket and in 2016, and 2021 on BJP’s ticket.
He held several portfolios (both state and cabinet) such as Minister of State for Agriculture, Planning & Development, Finance, Health, Education, and Assam Accord Implementation from 2002 to 2014.
During his tenure, three medical colleges were established in Jorhat, Barpeta and Tezpur while five more are underway in Diphu, Nagaon, Dhubri, North Lakhimpur and Kokrajhar. More than 50,000 teachers were appointed for the first time through Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) after he abolished the interview system.
Previously associated with Indian National Congress, Sarma joined Bharatiya Janata Party on 23 August 2015 at Amit Shah’s residence in New Delhi. At that time, he was appointed as the BJP’s Convener of the Election Management Committee for the 2016 Assam Assembly Election. He won the 2016 Assam Assembly Election from the Jalukbari Assembly Constituency for the fourth consecutive term and served as the Cabinet Minister in the first BJP government in North-East India.
It is to be noted that due to the political differences with former Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, Sarma resigned from all portfolios on 21 July 2014 and from Assembly on 15 September 2015.
On 23 April 2017, he was unanimously elected as President of the Badminton Association of India. In June 2016, he was appointed as the president of the Assam Cricket Association.
In the 2021 Assam Assembly Election, Sarma contested from the Jalukbari Assembly Constituency and defeated Ramen Chandra Borthakur of the Indian National Congress by a margin of 101911 votes.
Himanta Biswa Sarma: Controversy
In November 2020, Biswa falsely claimed on social media that the supporters of AIUDF politician Badruddin Ajmal had shouted slogans in support of Pakistan while greeting him on his arrival at Silchar airport. His claims, however, were reiterated by News Live (Assamese news channel owned by his wife), and several others including Times Now, CNN News18, and The New Indian Express.
Not only this, Facebook flagged his post as misinformation and blocked it from being shared further after several fact-checkers examined the video of the event. The independent third-party fact-checkers claimed that the slogans consisted of the names of the political leaders and were not shouted in support of Pakistan. Since then, an FIR has been registered against him for promoting enmity between different groups of people, an offence under IPC and also under the IT Act.
Personal Life:
Himanta Biswa Sarma married Riniki Bhuyan Sarma on 7 June 2001. The couple gave birth to a son, Nandil Biswa Sarma, and a daughter, Sukanya Sarma.
