Guwahati, Dec 10: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has reassigned control of several departments to his ministers to focus on preparations for the upcoming 2026 Assembly elections. Sarma stated that by reducing his workload, he would have more time to engage with the public and work on election-related strategies in the coming year.

“I want to focus on the next Assembly election for the next year. As a result, I have decided to lessen the workload for the departments that were under my charge,” Sarma said, adding that he would dedicate more time to the people of Assam.

In line with this approach, Sarma expanded his Cabinet on Saturday, marking the first reshuffle since he became Chief Minister three years ago. Four new ministers—Prasanta Phookan, Kaushik Rai, Krishnendu Paul, and Rupesh Goala—were inducted into the Cabinet to manage key departments that were previously under Sarma’s direct supervision.

The Cabinet expansion filled four vacant positions, including three that had existed since Sarma assumed office and one that opened after Parimal Suklabaidya’s election to the Lok Sabha earlier this year. Kaushik Rai replaces Suklabaidya and, like him, hails from the Cachar district. The other new ministers—Phookan, a four-time MLA from Dibrugarh; Paul, a two-term MLA from Patharkandi; and Goala, from Doom Dooma—are all senior BJP leaders.

Sanjay Kishan, who previously held a ministerial post, was asked to resign and was replaced by Goala. However, Sarma assured that Kishan would continue to focus on his legislative duties and will be given new responsibilities within the party.