Guwahati, May 5: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma is expected to meet Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya on Wednesday to submit his resignation, paving the way for the formation of a new government following the assembly elections. An official source confirmed that the state’s chief electoral officer will hand over the final results to the governor in the forenoon, after which Sarma will formally step down.

The National Democratic Alliance secured a decisive victory, winning a third consecutive term in the state with 102 seats in the 126-member assembly. The BJP emerged dominant with 82 seats, while its allies Asom Gana Parishad and Bodoland People’s Front claimed 10 constituencies each. Sarma, who was projected as the chief ministerial candidate of the ruling alliance, said the resignation would clear the path for the next government.

He added that a meeting of newly elected BJP legislators would be convened under the guidance of party president J P Nadda and Nayab Singh Saini, appointed as central observer and co-observer respectively, to select the leader of the legislative party. “I will talk to Nadda ji and call the MLAs as per the date set by him. With it, the government formation process will start,” Sarma stated.

The chief minister also noted that the new assembly may not have a leader of the opposition, as the Congress secured only 19 seats, falling short of the 22 required under constitutional norms. “Hence, according to constitutional norms, there will be no leader of the opposition. But all the parties will have their own legislative party leaders,” he explained.