GUWAHATI, Jan 17 - The Sarbananda Sonowal-led ministry will be expanded tomorrow with induction of two new members.
BJP legislators Sanjoy Kishan (Tinsukia) and Jogen Mohan (Mahmara) will be inducted into the Council of Ministers, sources said.
Governor Prof Jagdish Mukhi will administer the oath of office to the new ministers during a ceremony at the Raj Bhawan at 9 am.
Sources said that the Chief Minister will also reshuffle the portfolios of some of the serving ministers. The portfolios of some ministers will be trimmed.
Ministers Siddhartha Bhattacharya, Ranjit Dutta and Naba Kumar Doley are each likely to lose one or two of their departments.
With the next Assembly elections only 14-15 months away, this is expected to be the last expansion and reshuffle of the Sonowal ministry.
The ruling party has faced massive backlash during recent weeks on the issue of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, (CAA), especially in the districts of Upper Assam.
Sources said the induction of Kishan and Mohan is aimed at wooing the tea community and the Ahom community, who are particularly influential in Upper Assam.
While Kishan belongs to the tea community, Mohan is from the Ahom community.
Meanwhile, the ruling BJP will also hold its convention at the Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra here tomorrow where the name of the next State president of the party will be announced.
State BJP president Ranjeet Kumar Dass is likely to be re-elected for a fresh three-year term.
Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan will attend the convention as observer from the national unit of BJP and he will formally announce the name of the new State unit president.
The meeting will be attended by Sonowal, Finance Minister and NEDA convenor Himanta Biswa Sarma and other leaders and office-bearers of the party from across Assam.
