Chief Minister of Assam

Himanta Biswa Sarma (born February 1, 1969) is an Indian politician and lawyer currently serving as the 15th Chief Minister of Assam, a position he has held since 2021. Previously a member of the Indian National Congress, he joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on August 23, 2015, and was quickly appointed convenor of the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA). Sarma has been elected five times as a Member of the Assam Legislative Assembly from the Jalukbari constituency, starting in 2001.

Himanta Biswa Sarma was born on February 1, 1969, in Jorhat, Assam, to a family with six siblings. The family later relocated to Ulubari, Gandhibasti in Guwahati. He hails from an Assamese family with roots in Latima, Nalbari district. Sarma married Riniki Bhuyan Sarma in 2001, and they have a son, Nandil Biswa Sarma, who attended The Doon School, and a daughter, Sukanya Sarma, who studied at Mayo College Girls School.

Sarma completed his schooling at Kamrup Academy School, Guwahati, in 1985, and then pursued his undergraduate studies at Cotton College, Guwahati (now Cotton University). He was elected General Secretary of the Cotton College Students Union three times, in 1988-89, 1989–90, and 1991-1992. Sarma is the seventh Chief Minister of Assam to have graduated from Cotton University.

He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science in 1990 and a Master of Arts in 1992 from the university. Sarma then obtained a Bachelor of Laws degree from Government Law College, Guwahati, and became a solicitor in 1995. He practiced law at the Gauhati High Court from 1996 to 2001. In 2006, he completed his Doctorate of Philosophy in Political Science from Gauhati University, with a dissertation on the “North Eastern Council: A Structural and Functional Analysis,” just before entering public office.

On May 8, 2021, Himanta Biswa Sarma and then-Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal were summoned to New Delhi for discussions on forming a new government. They had a series of meetings lasting over four hours with BJP President J.P. Nadda and Home Minister Amit Shah. On May 9, Sonowal submitted his resignation to Governor Jagadish Mukhi, ahead of a meeting later that day to decide the next Chief Minister. Sarma’s name was proposed by Sonowal, BJP state president Ranjeet Kumar Dass, and newly elected MLA Nandita Garlosa. With no other names put forward, Sarma was unanimously elected as the leader of the BJP legislature.

On May 10, 2021, Sarma was sworn in as the 15th Chief Minister of Assam by Governor Jagadish Mukhi, succeeding Sonowal. His appointment was congratulated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.