Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma expanded his cabinet on Saturday with the swearing-in of four new ministers. Assam Governor Laxman Prasad Acharya administered the oath of office to the newly appointed ministers—Prasanta Phookan, Kaushik Rai, Krishnendu Paul, and Rupesh Goala—all of whom are BJP legislators.
The ceremony was attended by Chief Minister Sarma and other members of his cabinet. Phookan, a four-time MLA from Dibrugarh, and Paul, a two-time MLA from Patharkandi, were joined by Rai and Goala, both first-time MLAs from Lakhipur and Doom Dooma, respectively.
Phookan and Goala represent the Upper Assam tea districts of Dibrugarh and Tinsukia, while Paul and Rai hail from the Barak Valley districts of Sribhumi (formerly Karimganj) and Cachar. With these additions, Sarma now leads a 19-member council of ministers in Assam.
