In a significant political development, Sarbananda Sonowal is almost confirmed to be included in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's cabinet. Sonowal, the only Member of Parliament from Assam to receive such an invitation today, is scheduled to meet the Prime Minister at his residence, located at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg, at 11:30 PM.
Reports also indicate that Biplab Deb, former Chief Minister of Tripura and a current Rajya Sabha MP, is likely to secure a berth in the Council of Ministers. In addition, Kiren Rijiju, representing Arunachal Pradesh, has been invited for a tea meeting at the Prime Minister's House, signaling potential cabinet considerations. Arunachal East MP Tapir Gao is also a strong contender for a cabinet position.
Earlier on Saturday evening, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma extended his congratulations to Sarbananda Sonowal for his emphatic victory in the Dibrugarh Lok Sabha constituency. This victory has further solidified Sonowal's prominent role in the Modi cabinet.
Despite the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) drawing a blank in Nagaland, Manipur, and Meghalaya, the BJP and its ally UPPL secured 11 seats in Assam, both seats in Arunachal Pradesh, and won in Tripura. The Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM), an ally of the BJP in Sikkim, won the lone Lok Sabha seat in the state. The lone Mizoram seat went to the Zoram People's Movement (ZPM).
In 2019, there were five MPs from the region in PM Narendra Modi’s Council of Ministers: Sarbananda Sonowal, a cabinet minister from Assam; Rameshwar Teli, a minister of state also from Assam; Kiren Rijiju, a cabinet minister from Arunachal Pradesh; Pratima Bhowmik from Tripura; and RK Ranjan Singh from Manipur. The potential inclusion of Sonowal, Deb, Rijiju, and Gao suggests a continued strong representation for the Northeast in the central government.