Sarbananda Sonowal resigns as Union Minister; to take oath as Assam CM on May 24

Assam's Chief Minister designate Sarbananda Sonowal on Sunday resigned from the Union Council of Ministers. The resignation letter of 53-year-old Sonowal was forwarded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the President, who accepted it.

"The President, as advised by the Prime Minister, has accepted the resignation of Sarbananda Sonowal, Minister of State (Independent Charge) of Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, from the Council of Ministers, with immediate effect. Further, as advised by the Prime Minister, the President has directed that Jitendra Singh, Minister of State, shall be assigned the Independent charge of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, in addition to his existing portfolios," a Rashtrapati Bhawan communique said.

Sonowal was elected BJP legislature party leader at a meeting of the newly-elected MLAs in Guwahati this afternoon and has been invited by Governor P B Acharya to form the government.

In today's 'Mann ki baat' radio programme, the Prime Minister praised Sonowal for taking time out to visit NIS Patiala to check on the sportspersons' training for the Rio Olympics despite elections in Assam.

"There were polls, he was a CM candidate but performed his duty as a sports minister. This is a big thing," the Prime Minister said.

Sonowal began his political career with the All Assam Students Union before moving to AGP and later to BJP in 2011. He was made president of the Assam unit of the BJP in 2012. He was declared BJP's chief ministerial candidate in January 2016.