Riniki Bhuyan Sharma, wife of newly re-sworn Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, on Tuesday declared the BJP-led alliance's landslide victory of 102 seats in the Assam Assembly elections a "smashing reply" to what she called "false claims" made against her by Congress leader Pawan Khera. The remarks came hours after Sarma was administered the oath of office for a second consecutive term as Chief Minister at a grand ceremony in Guwahati.

The Allegation and the Response

In the run-up to the Assembly polls, Khera had alleged that Riniki Bhuyan Sharma reportedly possessed foreign passports — a charge that was strongly denied by both Himanta Biswa Sarma and his family. On Tuesday, Sharma dismissed the allegation, saying the people of Assam had delivered a decisive verdict. "The people of Assam are more progressive. They have come beyond the stage of personal attacks and no longer believe in false claims of building castles in the air," she said.

"It has proved that 102 is a good, smashing reply to all the lies," she added, referring to the BJP-led alliance's tally out of Assam's 126 Assembly constituencies.

What the Victory Means

The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) formed the government in Assam for the third straight time with this result, consolidating its political dominance in the northeastern state. Sharma underlined the mood on the ground: "Right now in Assam, people no longer believe in personal politics, personal agendas, or false narratives. Change and developmental progress are the words."

"People rejected all the false allegations and said that they want futuristic development which is reflected in 102 seats," she said.

Family Celebrates the Mandate

The Chief Minister's daughter Sukanya Sarma also expressed her joy at the outcome. "I am extremely grateful to everyone who has believed in my dad. My dad has worked day in and day out for this," she said.

Swearing-In Ceremony and New Council of Ministers

Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya administered the oath of office and secrecy to Himanta Biswa Sarma at a grand swearing-in ceremony held at Khanapara in Guwahati. The event was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and several senior BJP and NDA leaders.

Along with Sarma, five ministers were also sworn into the new Council of Ministers. Former Union Minister Rameswar Teli, Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) President Atul Bora, United People's Party Liberal (UPPL) leader Charan Boro, and senior BJP leader Ajanta Neog took oath as ministers, signalling a coalition balance within the NDA alliance in the state.

With Sarma's second term now underway, the new government faces expectations of delivering on the development agenda that the BJP has repeatedly championed — and which Sharma says the 102-seat mandate has loudly endorsed.