Himanta Biswa Sarma was sworn in on May 12, 2026, as the Chief Minister of Assam for a second consecutive term, becoming the first non-Congress leader in the state’s history to achieve this milestone.

The oath-taking ceremony was held at the College of Veterinary Science Playground and was administered by Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya.

Ministers Sworn In Alongside Himanta Biswa Sarma

Four leaders also took oath as minister-designates:

• Rameswar Teli — BJP
• Ajanta Neog — BJP
• Atul Bora — AGP
• Charan Boro — BPF

The Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) are allies of the BJP-led NDA in Assam.

Dignitaries Present

The swearing-in ceremony was attended by:

• Narendra Modi
• Amit Shah
• Rajnath Singh
• BJP national president Nitin Nabin
• Chief Ministers of NDA-ruled states and Union Territories
• Religious leaders, industrialists, and foreign delegates

Among the international guests was Sergio Gor.

Historic Political Context

The NDA secured a third straight term in Assam after winning 102 of the 126 Assembly seats:

• Bharatiya Janata Party: 82 seats
• Asom Gana Parishad: 10 seats
• Bodoland People’s Front: 10 seats

The BJP first came to power in Assam in 2016 under Sarbananda Sonowal. Leadership later transitioned to Himanta Biswa Sarma in 2021.

Political Messaging

Ahead of the ceremony, Sarma invoked the blessings of:

• Kamakhya Temple
• Srimanta Sankardev

He reiterated the NDA government’s emphasis on “jati, mati, bheti” (community, land, and foundation), highlighting land reclamation and identity politics as key priorities for the new term.

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The world order may have been upended, battered by another war. But it is hard to tell this looking at the list of India’s most powerful. For the 12th year, Narendra Modi and Amit Shah take the top two slots in The RMA News list, with nine of the top 10 the same as in 2025.

That’s a testament to how power equations remain largely unchanged even ahead of another round of Assembly elections. The list also tells the story of the Opposition’s failure to check the BJP, even as the latter pushes into new territory. Rahul Gandhi and Mamata Banerjee are the only two non-NDA leaders who make the top 20. If the Congress leader’s efforts mean he has just about kept his No. 9 slot, the Trinamool Congress chief continues to stay one step ahead of the indefatigable BJP.

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar has been a collateral — and not unwilling — beneficiary of this high-stakes political fight, vaulting to No. 20. In 2024, his counterpart was at a much more modest No. 63. The other new entrants in the list, who rank as close, are here by virtue of the posts they now occupy — Chief Justice Surya Kant (No. 17), and BJP chief Nitin Nabin (No. 21).

US President Donald Trump’s volatility (to put it mildly) means Commerce, Finance and External Affairs Ministries have to be constantly on their toes and, hence, Piyush Goyal (No. 5 from No. 12) joins Nirmala Sitharaman and S Jaishankar in the top 10. Not surprisingly, NSA Ajit Doval, the government’s eyes and ears on all things security, climbs too, to No. 29.

With six years plus and counting as Principal Secretary to the PM, PK Mishra continues to be one of Modi’s most trusted (the PM rushed him to Ahmedabad after the Air India plane crash in June 2025) aides, and surges by 46 spots to No. 32. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi sees the same rise, to No. 35, as she takes on a more hands-on role in the party, with Assam to be her litmus test after UP.

One person watching the Congress performance closely would be AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, who is at No. 55 now, up by 34, as he climbs into the space vacated by the Opposition on minority issues.

In a BJP where power flows from the top, only a rare party CM such as Yogi Adityanath, Devendra Fadnavis and Himanta Biswa Sarma figures at the top; Opposition leaders fill more rungs on this count. But the CM with the biggest fall is Nitish Kumar; down 63 ranks to No. 84, after a farewell to Bihar. Nitish called it his own decision. However, surely the Hero No. 1 of Bihar, who had a glorious poll victory just months earlier, would have wished for a better ending.

Talking about heroes and endings, the two new entrants from Bollywood in the list are Aditya Dhar and Arijit Singh — Dhar for announcing his arrival as a dhurandhar of “patriotism” packaged slickly; Arijit for “exiting” while the music still sang.

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His questions came a day after the External Affairs Ministry claimed that more than mere courtesies were exchanged between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and China President Xi Jinping at Bali G20 Meet in November 2022. “Ever since Prime Minister’s public clean chit to China on June 19th, 2020, the Modi government has been acting as if it is being tough on China, and that there have been no compromises or meaningful conversations between PM Modi and President Xi Jinping while Chinese troops remain in violation of previous LAC agreements,” Ramesh said on Twitter.

On November 16, 2022, he said, the Modi government characterised a dinner conversation between the two leaders at Bali as just an “exchange of courtesies.” On July 25, 2023, he claimed that a Chinese Foreign Ministry statement mentioned an “important consensus” reached by PM Modi and President Xi in Bali.

“On July 27, our Ministry of External Affairs confirmed that more than mere courtesies were exchanged at Bali. Is this a consensus or a concession by PM Modi? Will Chinese troops finally withdraw from Depsang and Demchok where they have blocked Indian patrols for more than three years,” Ramesh asked.

Meanwhile, he claimed that economic relations between the two countries are proceeding “as if the Chinese incursions in Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh never even happened.” “So much for ‘lal aankh’!” the Congress leader said. The Congress has been critical of the government’s handling of the border dispute with China.

Source: PTI

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All countries should respect international law and the sovereignty of countries. Disputes should be resolved with “diplomacy and dialogue,” not war, he noted. “Some people say that we are neutral. But we are not neutral. We are on the side of peace,” he was quoted as saying. “The world has full confidence that India`s topmost priority is peace,” the Prime Minister said in the interview.

India-US Ties Stronger, Deeper: PM Modi

PM Modi also stressed that the ties between India and the US are stronger and deeper than ever and there is unprecedented trust between the leaders of both nations. The Prime Minister added that India deserves a much higher, deeper and wider profile and role on the world stage at a moment of geopolitical turmoil.

“We do not see India as supplanting any country. We see this process as India gaining its rightful position in the world,” Prime Minister Modi was quoted as saying in the interview. The world today is more interconnected and interdependent than ever before. To create resilience, there should be more diversification in supply chains, he said.

On UNSC Membership

Touching upon the UN Security Council member, PM Modi said that there has to be an evaluation of the current membership of the council and the world should be asked if it wants India to be there. India will do whatever it can and supports all genuine efforts to bring an end to the conflict and ensure enduring peace and stability, the Prime Minister added. For normal bilateral ties with China, peace and tranquillity in the border areas is essential, he said.

On Trade Ties

In his interview, the Prime Minister said growing defence cooperation between the two countries was “an important pillar of our partnership” that extended to trade, technology, and energy.

On China

PM Modi also responded to questions about China, amid border tensions that have frequently flared up in recent years. “For normal bilateral ties with China, peace and tranquillity in the border areas is essential,” said PM Modi.

PM Modi said in the course of the interview that he is the first prime minister to be born in free India, “And that`s why my thought process, my conduct, what I say and do, is inspired and influenced by my country`s attributes and traditions. I derive my strength from it”. “I present my country to the world as my country is, and myself, as I am,” he said. 

PM Modi Leaves For US

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Tuesday, emplaned for the United States for his first historic State visit. The visit will commence in New York where the Prime Minister will lead the celebrations of the International Day of Yoga at the United Nations Headquarters on June 21.

PM Modi will then travel to Washington DC, where he will receive a ceremonial welcome at the White House on June 22 and meet President Biden to continue their high-level dialogue. President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will host a State Dinner in honour of the Prime Minister the same evening, according to a release issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). The PM will also address a Joint Sitting of the US Congress on June 22.

The invitation to deliver such a historic speech was extended by both the House of Representatives and the Senate, demonstrating bipartisan support and respect for Prime Minister Modi in the United States. He would be the first Indian Prime Minister to address a joint session of the United States Congress twice. The invitation letter from the President and First Lady praised PM Modi’s last historic address seven years ago, which helped cement the connection between the two countries.

An unprecedented deal on jet engine technology transfer to power advanced light combat aircraft and the purchase of high-altitude armed predator drones from the US is expected during the visit.

Source: IANS

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“In terms of focus areas of discussions, it would perhaps be a very forward leaning visit,” said one of the people cited above.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday formally announced Modi’s two-nation state visit to the US and Egypt from June 20 to 25. Following Modi’s talks with US President Joe Biden, the two sides are expected to firm up a number of arrangements and deals, including one for India’s procurement of 30 armed drones.

Both the leaders are also likely to deliberate on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the situation in the Indo-Pacific, China’s aggressive behaviour in the region and other pressing regional and global issues of mutual interests. Modi’s visit to the US will commence in New York, where he will lead the celebrations of the International Day of Yoga at the headquarters of the United Nations on June 21.

From New York, he will travel to Washington where he will receive a ceremonial welcome at the White House on June 22, and meet President Biden to continue their high-level dialogue. Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will host a state dinner in honour of Modi the same evening.

From New York, he will travel to Washington where he will receive a ceremonial welcome at the White House on June 22, and meet President Biden to continue their high-level dialogue. Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will host a state dinner in honour of Modi the same evening.

He will also meet members of the Indian diaspora. The people cited above said Modi’s visit will be “high on substance”.
“Even the symbolism would also be very highly substantive in terms of the political messaging,” said one of them, adding there is a “deep, genuine, strong and widespread interest” on the visit by both sides.

In the second leg of his two-nation visit, Modi will travel to Cairo to pay a state visit to Egypt from June 24 to 25.
The visit is at the invitation of Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, the President of Egypt, which he extended to Modi in January when he graced India’s Republic Day celebrations as the ‘Chief Guest’. This will be Modi’s first visit to Egypt as prime minister.

“Apart from his talks with President Sisi, the prime minister is likely to interact with senior dignitaries from the Egyptian government, some prominent Egyptian personalities, as well as the Indian community in Egypt,” the MEA said. “Relations between India and Egypt are based on ancient trade and economic linkages as well as cultural and deep-rooted people-to-people ties,” it said.

During the state visit of Sisi to India in January, it was agreed to elevate the relationship between the two countries to a strategic partnership.

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In his address at the meeting, Singh “welcomed the proposal for change in name”, since in its new form the institution exhibits the contributions of all prime ministers from Jawaharlal Nehru to Narendra Modi and their responses to various challenges faced by them, the ministry said in its statement. Describing prime ministers as an institution and comparing the journey of various prime ministers to the varied colours of a rainbow, Singh emphasised that “all the colours of a rainbow have to be proportionately represented in order to make it beautiful”.

“Thus the resolution has given a new name, respect to all our previous prime ministers and is democratic in content,” it said. The Congress termed it as an act of “vengeance”, asserting that legacies don’t get erased by renaming buildings.

Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said, “Pettiness & Vengeance, thy name is Modi. For over 59 years Nehru Memorial Museum & Library (NMML) has been a global intellectual landmark and treasure house of books & archives. It will henceforth be called Prime Ministers Museum & Society.”

“What won’t Mr. Modi do to distort, disparage and destroy the name & legacy of the architect of the Indian nation-state. A small, small man overburdened by his insecurities is the self-styled Vishwaguru,” Ramesh said.
Congress general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal said the Teen Murti Bhavan is a historic monument where India’s destiny was crafted.

“The architect of India’s post-independence glory was our first PM Jawaharlal Nehru. Erasing his legacy by changing the name of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library is a petty act, which only further diminishes the stature of the current regime,” Venugopal said on Twitter.

“India’s every success is achieved on the foundation of Nehru ji’s vision. India knows that, and removing his name from a museum will not change the revered stature that Nehru ji enjoys in every Indian’s heart,” he said.
Congress MP Manish Tewari also hit out at the government, saying legacies don’t get erased by renaming buildings.

“I wish those who want to erase Jawahar Lal Nehru’s contribution to freedom struggle & building of Modern India would once read Discovery of India & Glimpses of World History to fathom the depth of Nehru,” he said on Twitter.

Congress spokesperson Gourav Vallabh said, “You can remove (Jawaharlal Nehru’s) name from the boards but you can’t remove the respect which people of this country have for him.” During the Society’s meeting, Chairman, Executive Council, Nripendra Misra explained the need for change in name by emphasising that the Prime Ministers’ Museum expresses the nation’s deep commitment to democracy and so the name of the “institution should reflect its new form”.

“The Executive Council subsequently felt that the name of the institution should reflect the present activities which now also include a Sangrahalaya depicting the collective journey of democracy in Independent India and highlighting the contribution of each prime minister in nation-building,” the ministry said in the statement.

Teen Murti Bhavan, which was built in the British era, served as the official residence of the first prime minister of India soon after Independence.

“Pt. Nehru lived here for more than 16 years until his death on May 27, 1964. This building was so familiar with Jawaharlal Nehru’s name that Teen Murti House and Jawaharlal Nehru became more or less synonymous. Therefore, after his death, the government of India decided to convert this house into an appropriate memorial to perpetuate Nehru’s eternal passion for enlarging the frontiers of knowledge and enriching the human mind,” according to the website of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.

It was dedicated to Nehru’s memory on his 75th birthday in 1964 by the then president for housing a museum and a library to encourage, support, and patronise higher learning and free intellectual inquiry. The government also decided that an autonomous body should be set up to manage the affairs of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library and thus the Society came into existence on April 1, 1966.

Source: PTI

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Prime Minister Modi is visiting the US from June 21-24 at the invitation of US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden. They will host Modi at a state dinner on June 22. The visit also includes an address to the Joint Session of the Congress on June 22. Modi will address an invitation-only gathering of diaspora leaders from across the country at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington on June 23.

More than 160 artists are rehearsing for the past week to stage as many as 25 cultural programmes representing 15 Indian states. Most of them are dances, songs and musicals reflecting the rich cultural diversity of India. The performance would be staged at the historic Freedom Plaza near the White House in front of the Willard Hotel from 10 am in the morning to 2 pm which would coincide with the arrival of the Prime Minister.

A large number of Indian Americans are planning to gather at the Freedom Plaza to welcome the Prime Minister with ‘Vande Mataram’ and wave the tricolour. Engagement with the Indian Diaspora has been a signature part of Modi’s overseas travel. Most of the time, the prime minister spends some time with his diaspora followers, interacts with them and takes selfies.

Source: PTI

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The advertisement carries Sena’s bow-and-arrow symbol and images of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and CM Shinde. It has no image or photo of Shiv Sena founder late Balasaheb Thackeray, a noticeable departure going by its earlier publicity materials. “For the chief minister’s position, 26.1 per cent of the people in Maharashtra desire Eknath Shinde and 23.2 per cent of the people wish to see Devendra Fadnavis as the next chief minister,” reads the advertisement.

Thus, it is undeniable proof that 49.3 per cent of the people in Maharashtra wish to see a strong alliance between BJP and Shiv Sena for their state’s leadership, it said. The figures and claims in the advertisement have been attributed to a Zee TV-Matrize survey. “According to the election surveys, 30.2 per cent of citizens of Maharashtra prefer Bharatiya Janata Party, while 16.2 per cent of citizens prefer the Shiv Sena (led by Eknath Shinde). These numbers show that a total of 46.4 per cent people of Maharashtra trust the BJP and Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena alliance for the development of the state,” the advertisement said.

Responding to the advertisement, Sanjay Raut of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) said, “It was Balasaheb’s Shiv Sena earlier, but the advertisement has cleared the air. It has now become Modi-Shah’s Shiv Sena. Where is the image or photo of late Balasaheb Thackeray in the advertisement?”

State BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule, however, tried to downplay the advertisement. “It is always the election result that decides which party or leader is more acceptable to the voters. Shinde as a cabinet minister was popular earlier and now his acceptance has increased as the chief minister. People of the state have lots of expectations from Fadnavis, Shinde and Modi. As a state-level leader, the people of Maharashtra have given preference to Fadnavis twice, he said. ?There is no comparison between the Shiv Sena and BJP about who is a bigger or smaller party,” said Bawankule.

Chief spokesperson of the Maharashtra unit of Congress Atul Londhe called it a ‘false’ survey that he said Shinde has used to promote himself. “Once the election is over, Maha Vikas Aghadi will win more than 42 Lok Sabha seats (in Maharashtra) and 200 seats in the assembly for sure. A new story would be written about him (Shinde) as ‘once upon a time, there was Shinde’,” he said.

Maharashtra has 48 Lok Sabha seats and 288 Assembly constituencies. Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) partners – Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress and NCP – have asserted that they will fight the polls with maximum coordination. Bharat Gogawale, chief whip of the Shinde-led Sena said, “We never manage anyone to get a favourable survey. He (Shinde) is even accessible to people and visits all parts of the state. We have not asked any media house to conduct a survey for us.”

Source: PTI

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At the invitation of US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the United States from June 21 to June 24. Indian diaspora in the US is also eagerly awaiting PM Modi’s arrival. On June 22, more than 7000 Indian Americans are planning to be on the South Lawns of the White House when US President Biden and the First Lady would welcome PM Modi amidst a 21-gun salute.

In the US, PM Modi will also address the chairman and CEOs of top US companies at John F Kennedy Centre in Washington. During his visit, PM Modi will address a joint session of the United States Congress on June 22. The invitation to deliver such a historic speech was extended by both the House of Representatives and the Senate, demonstrating bipartisan support and respect for Prime Minister Modi in the United States. He would be the first Indian PM to address a joint session of the US Congress twice.

The invitation letter from the President and First Lady praised PM Modi’s last historic address seven years ago, which helped cement the connection between the two countries. The White House emphasised in its message that it was an occasion to reaffirm the two countries’ deep and close alliance. PM Modi expressed his thanks for the privilege and stated that he was looking forward to addressing the joint session. In his message, PM Modi reiterated the pride in having a Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership with the US founded on the principles of democratic values, close people-to-people ties and a staunch commitment to global peace and prosperity.

“We are here almost literally, on the eve of what we believe will be a historic state visit by Prime Minister Modi, one that will further solidify what President Biden has called the defining relationship of the 21st century,” said US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. He said that US sees this (India-US) defining relationship as a unique connection between the world’s oldest and largest democracies, with a special obligation now to demonstrate that these two governments can deliver for & empower all of its citizens.

Hailing the ties between the two countries, Blinken said, “Last year, as you all know, trade between our nations reached a record $191 billion dollars, making the US the largest trading partner for India. American companies have now invested at least $54 billion in India. In US, Indian companies have invested over $40 billion in IT, pharmaceuticals and more, supporting 425,000 jobs from California to Georgia.”

Source: ANI

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“I would say the Indian Supreme Court has been debating the issue of gay marriage, LGBTQ marriage for a couple of months now. I would urge Prime Minister Modi to support this, to support the equal rights of the LGBTQ community in India and to understand that our children and LGBTQ folks are entitled to equal rights because we are all human,” Aruna Rao, executive director, Desi Rainbow, told PTI.

Rao was among the handful of Indian Americans who were invited to participate in the historic Pride Rally on the South Lawns of the White House which was addressed by President Joe Biden and the First Lady Dr Jill Biden. “My understanding is in the metro areas, there is some support for LGBTQ people. Legislatively also, the government has moved forward in terms of transgender rights. But there is a lot to be done, particularly not in the metro areas, in the small towns, in the villages where people don’t have support, don’t have access to any kind of equal rights,” she said.

“In every which way, economically, socially, culturally, LGBTQ folks in India, in South Asia need a lot of support,” Rao said. Another Indian-American participant at the White House Pride Rally, Lesley Kingston hoped that President Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have a good meeting later this month.

“I hope that their bilateral relationships between the two countries get stronger. But I do hope that Prime Minister Modi really spends some time taking a look at the South Asian, the Indian community here and learning how we are striving for progress and to be able to implement the same kind of things and give the rights of LGBTQ people in India: all the rights that we have here and more. Because they deserve it,” Kingston said.

“It’s 2023, and we all, including Americans need to get past it and realize that we share the same blood. We’re made up of the same things. We’re all human beings and we’re all deserving of equality. So I think the biggest challenge that we have is for us to recognize that we are colonized people and we have colonized minds, and we need to get past that,” Kingston said.

Source: PTI

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