Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. File Image | Photo credit: ANI
GUWAHATI
A day after being sworn in as Assam chief minister for a second consecutive term, Himanta Biswa Sarma said his state feels safer with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in power in neighboring West Bengal.
He told reporters on Wednesday (May 13, 2026) that political rapprochement between the two neighboring states would go a long way in improving coordination to face common challenges, specifically the issue of “illegal immigration” from Bangladesh.
Together, Assam and West Bengal share a 2,479.7 km border with Bangladesh out of a total length of 4,096.7 km.
“Historically, the two states have faced several common problems, especially in the area of law and order and inter-state coordination. Now that we have the same government in West Bengal, Assam feels much safer because of the common problems we face,” Sarma said, hinting at the problems it faces from the India-Bangladesh border.
“In the past, there were cases where criminals could cross over to West Bengal and cooperation was not always easy. The new political scenario will enable the governments of the two states to work more closely together in the areas of governance, security and development,” he said.
Referring to the West Bengal leadership’s participation in the swearing-in ceremony on Tuesday (12 May 2026), Mr Sarma said it reflected the beginning of stronger regional cooperation. “The presence of the Chief Minister of West Bengal at the oath-taking ceremony and the warmth of the people of his state augur a bright future for the Northeast,” he added.
Company at UCC
The Chief Minister reaffirmed his government’s commitment to implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), a key promise in the BJP’s election manifesto.
“Together with the UCC, we will try to 100% implement every word we mentioned in our election manifesto,” he said.
The UCC is one of the main ideological commitments of the BJP at the national level. It envisages a common set of civil laws governing matters such as marriage, divorce, inheritance and adoption for citizens of all religions.
During Mr. Sarma’s first term at the helm, the state government launched a crackdown on child marriage and polygamy and repealed the Assam Muslim Marriage Registration and Divorce Act, 1935.
Published – 13 May 2026 15:12 IST
