8 new faces among 18 Assam ministers sworn in

Experience and performance in the previous government were on the mind of Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi when he picked his 18-member council of ministers. They were administered oath of office and secrecy in Guwahati on Friday afternoon by Governor J B Patnaik.

The cabinet included 12 ministers of cabinet rank and four ministers of state with independent charge, official sources said.

There were eight new faces in the 18-member cabinet of the Assam CM.

Among the new faces are Nilmani Sen Deka who defeated Asom Gana Parishad president Chandramohan Patowary in the recent assembly polls.

While Deka has been rewarded with a cabinet rank, Siddeque Ahmed, Ajit Singh, Basanta Das and Rajiv Lochan Pegu have been made ministers of state with independent charge.

Speaker and deputy speaker in the last assembly Tanka Bahdur Rai and Pranati Phukan respectively and former minister in the Hiteswar Saikia ministry Ardhendu Dey were the other new faces in the cabinet.

Gogoi has retained Prithibi Majhi, Gautom Roy, Ajanta Neog, Akon Bora, Himanta Biswa Sarma, Khor Singh Engti, Nazrul Islam, Pradyut Bordoloi and Rockybul Hussain along with Bodoland People Front representative Chandan Brahma.

He has dropped eight ministers of his earlier cabinet, including senior minister and former caretaker chief minister Dr Bhumidhar Barman along with two former ministers BPF Pramila Rani Brahma and Rihon Daimary.

While senior ministers in the last cabinet Pranab Gogoi, Dinesh Prasad Goala and Gautam Bora were also not included, former ministers Bharat Chandra Narah and Nurjamal Sarkar lost the recent polls.

Gogoi was sworn in as Chief Minister for the third consecutive term on May 18.