June 9, 2022: Nalbari MLA Jayanta Malla Baruah and Haflong MLA Nandita Gorlosa were today, Thursday, Jun 9, sworn in as the new ministers in the Himanta Biswa Sarma-led Assam Cabinet. The swearing in of these two MLAs as ministers has taken the strength of the Himanta Biswa Cabinet to 16. Himanta Biswa Sarma formed his government in May, 2021 after a thumping victory and his Cabinet took oath on May 10 that year.

Baruah has been serving as the political adviser to the CM and Gorlosa has been acting as the Executive Member of Dima Hasao Autonomous Council. 

Nandita Garlosa, an M.Sc. in Zoology from Cotton College in 2003, is a first time MLA and she has become the first lady minister to be inducted into the State Cabinet from Dima Hasao. She won the 2021 elections with 57% votes.

Bachelor of Arts from B.Barooah College, 1994 batch, Jayanta Malla Baruah is a second time MLA from Nalbari. In the 2011 Assam Assembly elections, Jayanta Malla Baruah had won the seat on a Congress ticket with 39,896 votes defeating AlakaSarma of AGP who secured 31,673 votes. In 2015 Jayanta Malla left Congress (INC) and joined BJP. In the 2021 elections he won with 58.84% votes.
Sarma’s earlier 14-member Cabinet was sworn in on May 10, 2021. The Assam Cabinet includes 11 MLAs from BJP, 2 from AGP (Asom Gana Parishad) and one from UPPL. AGP and UPPL are allies of BJP in Assam.

As per Article 164 (1A) of the Constitution, the total number of ministers in a state cannot exceed 15 per cent of the total number of members in the legislative assembly. Assam assembly has 126 members therefore any Assam government can have 18 ministers including the Chief Minister.