Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday, 6 May confirmed that the formation and swearing-in of the new BJP-led government in the state would take place after May 11, following the completion of constitutional and organisational formalities. Sarma made the announcement in Guwahati after submitting his resignation to Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya.

Resignation and Caretaker Status

Sarma said the Election Commission of India (ECI) had formally notified the Assam Assembly poll results, after which he tendered the resignation of his Council of Ministers in line with democratic traditions. "The Election Commission has officially declared the results and submitted the notification to the Governor. Immediately after that, I submitted my resignation as Chief Minister and also recommended dissolution of the present Assam Legislative Assembly," Sarma said.

The Governor accepted both recommendations and asked the outgoing ministry to continue as a caretaker government until the new ministry takes charge. "We will continue as a caretaker government during this transition period till the new government is formed," Sarma added.

Swearing-In Timeline

While Sarma stopped short of officially confirming a specific date, he indicated that May 12 was being discussed internally. "I have heard discussions about May 12, though I cannot officially confirm the date. But I can say that the formation of the new government and swearing-in will happen after May 11," he said. The date of the BJP Legislature Party meeting is expected to be announced shortly by the party's central leadership.

Central Observers and Legislature Party Meeting

Sarma confirmed that a meeting of the BJP Legislature Party would be held in the presence of BJP's former national president J.P. Nadda and Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, who have been appointed as central observers. The Legislature Party will elect its leader, following which an NDA meeting will formally endorse the candidate before staking a claim to form the government.

"The Governor will then invite the elected leader to form the ministry. Only after these constitutional steps are completed will decisions regarding the composition of the new Cabinet be taken," Sarma said.

BJP's Mandate in Assam

The BJP-led NDA returned to power in Assam with a decisive mandate, securing a comfortable majority in the 126-member Assam Legislative Assembly. This marks a continuation of the alliance's grip on the state, which it has held since 2016. The transition process now follows a well-established constitutional sequence — resignation, caretaker status, legislature party election, and formal invitation from the Governor — before a new Cabinet can be sworn in.

With central observers already named and the legislature party meeting imminent, the new Assam government is expected to take shape within days.