Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma expanded his cabinet on Saturday, inducting four new ministers. Assam Governor Laxman Prasad Acharya administered the oath of office to Prasanta Phookan, Kaushik Rai, Krishnendu Paul, and Rupesh Goala, all of whom are members of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Phookan, a four-time MLA from Dibrugarh, and Paul, a two-time MLA from Patharkandi, were among the new appointees. Rai and Goala, both first-time MLAs, represent Lakhipur and Doom Dooma, respectively. The new ministers come from different regions, with Phookan and Goala representing the Upper Assam tea districts of Dibrugarh and Tinsukia, while Paul and Rai represent the Barak Valley districts of Sribhumi (formerly Karimganj) and Cachar.
This cabinet expansion brings the total number of ministers in Sarma’s council to 19. The reshuffle is seen as an effort to strengthen the BJP’s presence across key regions in the state, particularly in the tea-growing areas and Barak Valley. With the new appointments, Sarma aims to enhance governance and ensure broad regional representation in his administration.
