Senior BJP leader Chandramohan Patowary is set to take oath as the Pro-tem Speaker of the Assam Legislative Assembly on May 15, ahead of the first sitting of the newly constituted House following the 2026 Assembly elections.According to official sources, Assam Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya will administer the oath to Patowary during a ceremony scheduled at Raj Bhavan at 11:30 am on Friday. As Pro-tem Speaker, Patowary will preside over the initial proceedings of the Assembly, including the swearing-in of newly elected MLAs and the conduct of the election for the Speaker of the House. The appointment is considered a key procedural step before the regular functioning of the new Assembly begins. The development comes at a time when the BJP-led government in Assam, headed by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, has initiated major administrative and ministerial changes after returning to power for a second consecutive term.
Among the most significant changes in the newly formed cabinet is the reassignment of senior minister Ajanta Neog, who is no longer handling the Finance department. According to an official notification approved by the Governor on May 14, Neog has now been entrusted with the Women and Child Development and Tourism departments. Neog had served as Assam’s Finance Minister during the previous BJP government and played a central role in the state’s financial administration and annual budget planning. Her removal from the Finance portfolio is being viewed as one of the biggest changes in the new cabinet formation. The portfolio allocation notification also detailed responsibilities assigned to other ministers in the expanded cabinet. Senior BJP leader Rameswar Teli has been given charge of the Transformation and Development department along with Labour Welfare and Tea Tribes and Adivasi Welfare.
Meanwhile, Atul Bora will oversee Panchayat and Rural Development, Implementation of Assam Accord, Border Protection and Development, and Excise. Minister Charan Boro has been allocated the Transport department in addition to Welfare of Bodoland. In his communication to the Chief Minister, Governor Acharya stated that he had approved the allocation of portfolios “as suggested” by the Chief Minister.