There will be eight new faces in the 18-member Cabinet of Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi which will be sworn in here this evening.
The Cabinet will include 12 Ministers of Cabinet rank and four Ministers of State with independent charge, officials said.
Nilmani Sen Deka, who defeated AGP president Chandramohan Patowary in the recent Assembly polls, is among the new faces.
While Ms. Deka has been rewarded with a Cabinet rank, Siddeque Ahmed, Ajit Singh, Basanta Das and Rajiv Lochan Pegu have been made Ministers of State with independent charge.
Speaker and Deputy Speaker in the last Assembly Tanka Bahdur Rai and Pranati Phukan respectively and former Minister in the Hiteswar Saikia Ministry Ardhendu Dey are the other new faces in the Cabinet.
Mr. Gogoi has retained Prithibi Majhi, Gautom Roy, Ajanta Neog, Akon Bora, Himanta Biswa Sarma, Khor Singh Engti, Nazrul Islam, Pradyut Bordoloi and Rockybul Hussain along with Bodoland People Front representative Chandan Brahma.
The Chief Minister has dropped eight Ministers of his earlier Cabinet, including senior Minister and former caretaker Chief Minister Bhumidhar Barman along with two former Ministers BPF’s Pramila Rani Brahma and Rihon Daimary.
While senior Ministers in the last Cabinet Pranab Gogoi, Dinesh Prasad Goala and Gautam Bora were also not included, former ministers Bharat Chandra Narah and Nurjamal Sarkar lost the recent polls.
The Council of Ministers will be administered the oath of office and secrecy at the ITA Machkhowa Cultural Centre here this evening.
Mr. Gogoi was sworn in as Chief Minister for the third consecutive term by Governor J.B. Patnaik on May 18.
