GUWAHATI : Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday announced that the first session of the 16th Assam Legislative Assembly will begin on May 21, with newly elected legislators set to take oath during the upcoming sitting.

Speaking shortly after assuming office for a second consecutive term, Sarma said the government would immediately resume administrative work and focus on implementing its governance agenda without delay.

“From today onwards, the government will officially start its work. During today’s Cabinet meeting, we will decide how many days the Assembly session will continue and what business will be taken up,” the chief minister said.

According to sources, the Assembly session is likely to continue for three days beginning May 21, during which the newly elected MLAs will formally take oath.

Earlier in the day, Himanta Biswa Sarma, accompanied by four Cabinet colleagues, visited the memorial of Assam’s first Chief Minister and Bharat Ratna Gopinath Bordoloi at Silpukhuri in Guwahati to pay floral tributes before formally beginning the government’s second-term functioning.

“Our government, before formally beginning work, visited the memorial of Bharat Ratna Gopinath Bordoloi to seek his blessings so that we can continue to work for Assam’s security and development,” Sarma said.

The chief minister reiterated that safeguarding Assam and protecting the interests of Assamese people would remain among the top priorities of the government during its new tenure.

“The protection of Assam, Assamese people and Indians is our responsibility, and the people will witness it through our work,” he added. Highlighting continuity in governance, Sarma said the new administration would carry forward initiatives launched during its previous term rather than starting afresh.

“This is not a completely new government; it is a continuation. The work we started earlier will continue in the same manner. The time for speeches is over with the end of the elections. People now expect work from us,” he said.

The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) recently returned to power in Assam for a third consecutive term after securing a decisive mandate in the Assembly elections.

Himanta Biswa Sarma was sworn in as chief minister at a grand ceremony in Guwahati in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Along with Sarma, four MLAs from the BJP and its alliance partners – the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and the Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) – also took oath as ministers.