The chief minister of Assam, an Indian state, is the head of the government of Assam. As per the Constitution of India, the governor is the state's de jure head, but de facto executive authority rests with the chief minister. Following elections to the Assam Legislative Assembly, the governor usually invites the party (or coalition) with a majority of seats to form the government. The governor appoints the chief minister, whose council of ministers are collectively responsible to the assembly. Given that he has the confidence of the assembly, the chief minister's term is for five years and is subject to no term limits. Chief Minister also serves as Leader of the House in the Legislative Assembly.
Since 1946, Assam has had 17 chief ministers. Ten of them belonged to the Indian National Congress, including Gopinath Bordoloi, the first chief minister of Assam, and Anwara Taimur, India's first female Muslim chief minister. Congress party's continuous rule in the state was brought to an end when Golap Borbora led the Janata party to victory in the 1978 elections. Borbora consequently became the first non-Congress chief minister of the state. Prior to that, Borbora was also the first non-Congress leader to be elected to the Rajya Sabha from the state. Congressman Tarun Gogoi is the longest-serving officeholder, having served for 15 years between 2001 and 2016. Sarbananda Sonowal became the first chief minister from the Bharatiya Janata Party, when he was sworn in on 24 May 2016. On 9 May 2021, Himanta Biswa Sarma was announced as the 15th chief minister of Assam.
Oath as the state chief minister
The chief minister serves five years in the office. The following is the oath of the Deputy chief minister of state:
Oath of Secrecy
"I, [Name], do swear in the name of God / solemnly affirm that I will not directly or indirectly communicate or reveal to any person or persons any matter which shall be brought under my consideration or shall become known to me as a Minister for the State of [Name of State] except as may be required for the due discharge of my duties as such Minister.Moi, [Apunar Naam], iaswaror namot sapun loisu / drirhatare protigya korisu je, moi bidi dara sthapit Bharatborkhor songbidhanor proti sosa sroddha aru loyalty (anugotya) poson korim; moi Bharatborkhor sarbobhoumotto (sovereignty) aru अखंडता (akhandata) রক্ষা (rokshya) korim; moi [Rajyor Naam] rajyor mukhyamantri rupe mor kortobbyobur nispokhopathwabe, bhay-bhiti, ror-alor ba bhed-bhab nohowakoi, hokolubur manuhor proti songbidhan aru ain onuhori nyaipurnobhabe palon korim."
2. Oath of Secrecy (Goponiyator Sapun)
"Moi, [Apunar Naam], iaswaror namot sapun loisu / drirhatare protigya korisu je, [Rajyor Naam] rajyor mukhyamantri rupe mor bibeosonalyi ona ba moi gumpua jikunu bikhoy, mor kortobbyobur huthurube palon koribloi proyojon huwar bahi, porokhyo ba protokhyobhabe kunu byokti ba byoktisokolok olopwru prokhash nokorim ba jonablloi nidiw."
List of Prime ministers Assam Province (1935-50)
Under the Government of India Act 1935, a bicameral legislature was set up with a legislative assembly and a legislative council. The premier of Assam was the head of the government and leader of the legislative assembly of Assam Province.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! scope="col" |#
!Portrait
!Name
!Constituency
! colspan="3" |Term of office
!Assembly
! colspan="2" |Party
<small>(coalition)</small>
|-
|1
|frameless|81x81px
|Muhammed Saadulah
|Kamrup (South)
|1 April 1937
|19 September
1938
|
| rowspan="3" |1st
Provincial
<small>(1937 election)</small>
|Assam Valley Party
<small>(INC)</small>
| width="4px" style="background-color: green" |
|-
|2
|75x75px
|Gopinath Bordoloi
|Kamrup Sadar (South)
|19 September
1938
|17 November
1939
|
|Indian National Congress
| width="4px" style="background-color: " |
|-
|(1)
|frameless|81x81px
|Muhammed Saadulah
|Kamrup (South)
|17 November
1939
|24 December 1941
|
|Assam Valley Party
<small>(AIML)</small>
| width="4px" style="background-color: green" |
|-
| -
| -
|Vacant
(Governor's Rule)
| -
|25 December 1941
|24 August 1942
|
|Dissolved
|N/A
|
|-
|(1)
|frameless|81x81px
|Muhammed Saadulah
|Kamrup (South)
|25 August 1942
|11 February 1946
|
|1st
Provincial
<small>(1937 election)</small>
|Assam Valley Party
<small>(AIML)</small>
| width="4px" style="background-color: green" |
|- align="center" style="height: 60px;"
|(2)
|75x75px
|Gopinath Bordoloi
|Kamrup Sadar (South)
|11 February 1946
|25 January 1950
|
|2nd Provincial
<small>(1946 election)</small>
|Indian National Congress
| width="4px" style="background-color: " |
|}
List of chief ministers of Assam (1950-present)
Note: Died in office
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
!#
!Portrait
!Name
!Constituency
! colspan="3" |Term of office
!Assembly
! colspan="2" |Party
|-
|1
|75x75px
|Gopinath Bordoloi
|Kamrup Sadar South
|26 January 1950
|5 August 1950
|
| rowspan="2" |2nd Provincial<br/>
| rowspan="9" |Indian National Congress
| rowspan="9" style="background-color: " |
|-
| rowspan="3" |2
| rowspan="3" |98x98px
| rowspan="3" |Bishnuram Medhi
| rowspan="3" |Hajo
|9 August 1950
|5 March 1952
| rowspan="3" |
|-
|5 March 1952
|27 February 1957
|1st<br/>
|-
|27 February 1957
|28 December 1957
| rowspan="2" |2nd<br/>
|-
| rowspan="3" |3
| rowspan="3" |75x75px
| rowspan="3" |Bimala Prasad Chaliha
|Badarpur
|28 December 1957
|22 March 1962
| rowspan="3" |
|-
| rowspan="2" |Sonari
|22 March 1962
|16 March 1967
|3rd<br/>
|-
|16 March 1967
|11 November 1970
| rowspan="2" |4th<br/>
|-
|4
|93x93px
|Mahendra Mohan Choudhry
|Gauhati East
|11 November 1970
|31 January 1972
|
|-
|5
|112x112px
|Sarat Chandra Sinha
|Bilasipara East
|31 January 1972
|12 March 1978
|
|5th<br/>
|-
|6
|88x88px
|Golap Borbora
|Tinsukia
|12 March 1978
|9 September 1979
|
| rowspan="6" |6th<br/>
| rowspan="2" |Janata Party
| rowspan="2" style="background-color: " |
|-
|7
|96x96px
|Jogendra Nath Hazarika
|Duliajan
|9 September 1979
|12 December 1979
|
|-
|–
|120x120px
|Vacant
(President's rule)
|N/A
|12 December 1979
|6 December 1980
|
| colspan="2" |N/A
|-
|8
|99x99px
|Anwara Taimur
|Dalgaon
|6 December 1980
|30 June 1981
|
|Indian National Congress
|style="background-color: " |
|-
|–
|120x120px
|Vacant
(President's rule)
|N/A
|30 June 1981
|13 January 1982
|
| colspan="2" |N/A
|-
|9
|
|Kesab Chandra Gogoi
|Dibrugarh
|13 January 1982
|19 March 1982
|
|Indian National Congress
|style="background-color: " |
|-
|–
|120x120px
|Vacant
(President's rule)
|N/A
|19 March 1982
|27 February 1983
|
|Dissolved
| colspan="2" |N/A
|-
|10
|101x101px
|Hiteswar Saikia
|Nazira
|27 February 1983
|24 December 1985
|
|7th
<small>(1983 election)</small>
|Indian National Congress
|style="background-color: " |
|-
|11
|79x79px
|Prafulla Kumar Mahanta
|Nowgong
|24 December 1985
|28 November 1990
|
|8th
<small>(1985 election)</small>
|Asom Gana Parishad
|style="background-color: " |
|-
|–
|120x120px
|Vacant
(President's rule)
|N/A
|28 November 1990
|30 June 1991
|
|Dissolved
| colspan="2" |N/A
|-
|(10)
|101x101px
|Hiteswar Saikia
|Nazira
|30 June 1991
|22 April 1996
|
| rowspan="2" |9th
<small>(1991 election)</small>
| rowspan="2" |Indian National Congress
| rowspan="2" style="background-color: " |
|-
|12
|85x85px
|Bhumidhar Barman
|Barkhetri
|22 April 1996
|15 May 1996
|
|-
|(11)
|79x79px
|Prafulla Kumar Mahanta
|Barhampur
|15 May 1996
|18 May 2001
|
|10th
<small>(1996 election)</small>
|Asom Gana Parishad
|style="background-color: " |
|-
| rowspan="3" |13
| rowspan="3" |113x113px
| rowspan="3" |Tarun Gogoi
| rowspan="3" |Titabor
|18 May 2001
|29 May 2006
| rowspan="3" |
|11th
<small>(2001 election)</small>
| rowspan="3" |Indian National Congress
| rowspan="3" style="background-color: " |
|-
|29 May 2006
|13 May 2011
|12th
<small>(2006 election)</small>
|-
|13 May 2011
|24 May 2016
|13th
<small>(2011 election)</small>
|-
|14
|98x98px
|Sarbananda Sonowal
|Majuli
|24 May 2016
|10 May 2021
|
|14th
<small>(2016 election)</small>
| rowspan="3" |Bharatiya Janata Party
| rowspan="3" style="background-color: " |
|-
| rowspan="2" |15
| rowspan="2" |97x97px
| rowspan="2" |Himanta Biswa Sarma
| rowspan="2" |Jalukbari
|10 May 2021
|12 May 2026
| rowspan="2" |
|15th
<small>(2021 election)</small>
|-
|12 May 2026
|Incumbent
|16th
<small>(2026 election)</small>
|}
Statistics
List by chief minister
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
! data-sort-type=number rowspan = "2" |#
! rowspan="2" |Chief Minister
! rowspan="2" colspan=2 |Party
! colspan="2" |Term of office
|-
! Longest tenure
! Total tenure
|-
| data-sort-value="1" | 1
| Tarun Gogoi
|
|
|
|-
| data-sort-value="2" | 2
| Bimala Prasad Chaliha
|
|
|
|-
| data-sort-value="3" |3
| Prafulla Kumar Mahanta
|
|
| 9 years, 342 days
|-
| data-sort-value="4" | 4
| Hiteswar Saikia
|
|
| 7 years, 232 days
|-
| data-sort-value="5" | 5
| Bishnuram Medhi
|
|
|
|-
| data-sort-value="6" | 6
| Sarat Chandra Sinha
|
|
|
|-
| data-sort-value="7" | 7
| Himanta Biswa Sarma
|
|
|
|-
| data-sort-value="8" | 8
| Sarbananda Sonowal
|
|
|
|-
| data-sort-value="9" | 9
| Golap Borbora
|
|
|
|-
| data-sort-value="10" | 10
| Mahendra Mohan Choudhry
|
|
|
|-
| data-sort-value="11" | 11
| Anwara Taimur
|
|
|
|-
| data-sort-value="12" | 12
| Gopinath Bordoloi
|
|
|
|-
| data-sort-value="13" | 13
| Kesab Chandra Gogoi
|
|
|
|-
| data-sort-value="14" | 14
| Jogendra Nath Hazarika
|
|
|
|-
| data-sort-value="15" | 15
| Bhumidhar Barman
|
|
|
|-
|}
Timeline
See also
- List of current Indian chief ministers
- List of governors of Assam