Himanta Biswa Sarma has been elected unanimously as BJPs legislative party leader in Assam and declared as the next chief minister, reported ANI quoting Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar. This comes hours after Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal resigned from his post on Sunday. 

A meeting was chaired by BJP chief JP Nadda on Saturday and the announcement was made after a legislative party meeting was held in New Delhi on Sunday. 

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Sarma, who belongs to an Assamese Brahmin community is also the convenor of the North East Democratic Alliance. The BJP had not announced its chief ministerial candidate before the state assembly polls, and after a week of tussle, Sarma has been named as the CM-elect of Assam, who will likely take the oath on Monday, May 10. 

After the 2016 polls, Himanta Biswa Sarma was given the charge as health minister of the state. Sarma became popular for his comment on wearing mask amid the assembly polls in April.

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In the results announced for the 126-member Assam assembly last Sunday, the BJP won 60 seats while its alliance partners AGP got nine seats and UPPL six.