Chief Ministers of Assam
16 people have held the office, across 22 terms, from formation to today.
Every Chief Minister
Most recent first, with a short biography where one is available.
Himanta Biswa Sarma
Incumbent10 May 2021 – present · 5 years, 4 months · 2 terms
Himanta Biswa Sarma (born 1 February 1969) is an Indian politician and lawyer serving as the 15th and the current Chief Minister of Assam since 2021. A former member of the Indian National Congress, Sarma joined the Bharatiya Janata Party on 23 August 2015 and soon was made convenor of NEDA. He is a six time Member of the Assam Legislative Assembly from Jalukbari, having been elected since 2001. Wikipedia →
24 May 2016 – 10 May 2021 · 4 years, 11 months
Sarbananda Sonowal (Assamese: [xɔɹbanɔndɔ xʊnʊwal]; born 31 October 1962) is an Indian politician who is serving as the 2nd Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways since 2021. He also has been a Member of the Rajya Sabha representing Assam since 2021 and also a member of the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs since 2021. He previously served as the 14th Chief Minister of Assam (2016–2021), as a member of Assam Legislative Assembly for Majuli (2016–2021) and for Moran (2001–2004). Wikipedia →
18 May 2001 – 24 May 2016 · 15 years
Tarun Gogoi (11 October 1936 – 23 November 2020) was an Indian politician and lawyer who served as the 13th Chief Minister of Assam from 2001 to 2016. He was the longest serving Chief Minister of Assam. He was a member of the Indian National Congress. Wikipedia →
22 Apr 1996 – 15 May 1996 · 23 days
Bhumidhar Barman (12 October 1931 – 18 April 2021) was an Indian politician belonging to the Indian National Congress. He was the shortest-serving Chief Minister of Assam, his tenure lasting only 22 days, from 22 April 1996 to 14 May 1996. First elected to the Assam Legislative Assembly in 1967, he became a member of that assembly a total of seven times. Wikipedia →
Prafulla Kumar Mahanta
24 Dec 1985 – 18 May 2001 · 9 years, 11 months · 2 terms
Prafulla Kumar Mahanta (born 23 December 1952) is an Indian politician who was the leader of the Assam Movement, and the 11th Chief Minister of Assam from 1985 to 1990 and again from 1996 to 2001 and the co-founder and former President of the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), a major political party in the Indian state of Assam. He represented the Barhampur constituency in the Assam Legislative Assembly from 1991 to 2021 and Nowgong constituency from 1985 to 1991. He also served as the Leader of the Opposition in the Assam Legislative Assembly from 1991 to 1996 and again from 2010 to 2014. Wikipedia →
27 Feb 1983 – 22 Apr 1996 · 7 years, 7 months · 2 terms
Hiteswar Saikia (3 October 1934 – 22 April 1996) was an Indian politician who served as the 10th chief minister of Assam from 1983 to 1985 and again from 1991 to 1996. He became the 1st Governor of Mizoram from 1987 to 1989, and was previously the 6th Lieutenant Governor of Mizoram from 1986 to 1987. In 1980 he was appointed as the Minister of Education for the Government of Assam, a post he held until 1981 although he assumed the role again in 1982. Wikipedia →
13 Jan 1982 – 19 Mar 1982 · 2 months
Keshab Chandra Gogoi (29 September 1926 – 5 August 1998) was an Indian statesman and lawyer who served as the 9th chief minister of Assam from January to March 1982. He was the member of Assam Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Dibrugarh from 1978 to 1996. Gogoi held various ministerial positions under numerous chief ministers between 1978 and 1991, most prominently serving as finance minister under three different governments. Wikipedia →
Anwara Taimur
6 Dec 1980 – 30 Jun 1981 · 6 months
Syeda Anwara Taimur (24 November 1936 – 28 September 2020) was an Indian politician who was Chief Minister of Assam from 6 December 1980 to 30 June 1981. She was a leader of the Indian National Congress in Assam and a member of the All India Congress Committee (AICC). Wikipedia →
9 Sep 1979 – 12 Dec 1979 · 3 months
Jogendra Nath Hazarika (9 September 1924 – 1998) was an Indian politician who served as the Chief Minister of Assam from 9 September 1979 to 11 December 1979. He was elected to the Lok Sabha, lower house of the Parliament of India, from the Dibrugarh constituency, Assam in 1951, 1957, 1962 and 1967. He was also a Member of the Assam Legislative Assembly (1978-1985) and Speaker of the Assam Legislative Assembly (1978 and 1979). Wikipedia →
12 Mar 1978 – 9 Sep 1979 · 1 year, 5 months
Golap Borbora (29 August 1926 – 19 March 2006) was an Indian politician and a chief minister of the Indian state of Assam from 1978 to 1979. He was the first non-Congress chief minister of Assam. Borbora was a member of Rajya Sabha between 1968 and 1974. Wikipedia →
31 Jan 1972 – 12 Mar 1978 · 6 years, 1 month
Sarat Chandra Sinha (1 January 1914 – 25 December 2005) was an Indian politician and Chief Minister of Assam. He was a leader of Indian National Congress, Indian National Congress (Socialist) and Nationalist Congress Party. Wikipedia →
Mahendra Mohan Choudhry
11 Nov 1970 – 31 Jan 1972 · 1 year, 2 months
Mahendra Mohan Choudhury (12 April 1908 – 27 December 1982) was a freedom fighter and politician from Nagaon, Undivided Kamrup district (now Barpeta district) of Western Assam. He was Chief Minister of Assam from 1970 to 1972. He also served as governor of Punjab. Wikipedia →
28 Dec 1957 – 11 Nov 1970 · 12 years, 10 months
Bimala Prasad Chaliha (26 March 1912 – 25 February 1971) was a leader of Indian National Congress and a freedom fighter who was imprisoned at Jorhat Jail in 1942 for active participation in Mahatma Gandhi's Quit India Movement against the British Government. He was elected to the post of Chief Minister of Assam for Three Consecutive Terms, once from Badarpur Constituency and twice from Sonari Constituency. He was in office from 28 December 1957 to 6 November 1970. Wikipedia →
Bishnuram Medhi
9 Aug 1950 – 28 Dec 1957 · 7 years, 4 months
Bishnuram Medhi (24 April 1888 – 21 January 1981) was an Indian politician and freedom-fighter who served as the Chief Minister of Assam from 1950 to 1957 and Governor of Madras State from January 1958 till May 1964. Wikipedia →
Gopinath Bordoloi
19 Sep 1938 – 5 Aug 1950 · 5 years, 7 months · 2 terms
Gopinath Bordoloi (6 June 1890 – 5 August 1950) was an Indian politician and independence activist who served as the 1st Chief Minister of Assam from 1946 to his death in 1950. He was also the chairman of North-East Frontier Tribal areas and Assam Excluded and Partially Excluded Areas Sub-Committee. He was a follower of the Gandhian principle of non-violence as a political tool. Wikipedia →
Muhammed Saadulah
1 Apr 1937 – 11 Feb 1946 · 7 years · 3 terms
Sir Syed Muhammad Saadulla KCIE (Assamese: ছাৰ ছৈয়দ মহম্মদ ছাদুল্লাহ; 21 May 1885 – 8 January 1955) was the 1st Prime Minister of Assam in British India from 1937 to 1946. He was also the member of Constituent Assembly of India from 1946 to 1950. Saadulla was knighted in the 1928 Birthday Honours and appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire (KCIE) in the 1946 Birthday Honours. Wikipedia →
Full timeline
Every term and every President's or Governor's Rule interval, most recent first.
| 12 May 2026 – present | Himanta Biswa Sarma | BJP | 3 months |
| 10 May 2021 – 12 May 2026 | Himanta Biswa Sarma | BJP | 5 years |
| 24 May 2016 – 10 May 2021 | Sarbananda Sonowal | BJP | 4 years, 11 months |
| 18 May 2001 – 24 May 2016 | Tarun Gogoi | INC | 15 years |
| 15 May 1996 – 18 May 2001 | Prafulla Kumar Mahanta | AGP | 5 years |
| 22 Apr 1996 – 15 May 1996 | Bhumidhar Barman | INC | 23 days |
| 30 Jun 1991 – 22 Apr 1996 | Hiteswar Saikia | INC | 4 years, 9 months |
| 28 Nov 1990 – 30 Jun 1991 | President's / Governor's Rule — President's Rule | 7 months | |
| 24 Dec 1985 – 28 Nov 1990 | Prafulla Kumar Mahanta | AGP | 4 years, 11 months |
| 27 Feb 1983 – 24 Dec 1985 | Hiteswar Saikia | INC | 2 years, 9 months |
| 19 Mar 1982 – 27 Feb 1983 | President's / Governor's Rule — President's Rule amid the Assam Movement | 11 months | |
| 13 Jan 1982 – 19 Mar 1982 | Keshab Chandra Gogoi | INC | 2 months |
| 30 Jun 1981 – 13 Jan 1982 | President's / Governor's Rule — President's Rule amid the Assam Movement | 6 months | |
| 6 Dec 1980 – 30 Jun 1981 | Anwara Taimur | INC | 6 months |
| 12 Dec 1979 – 6 Dec 1980 | President's / Governor's Rule — President's Rule amid the Assam Movement | 11 months | |
| 9 Sep 1979 – 12 Dec 1979 | Jogendra Nath Hazarika | JNP | 3 months |
| 12 Mar 1978 – 9 Sep 1979 | Golap Borbora | JNP | 1 year, 5 months |
| 31 Jan 1972 – 12 Mar 1978 | Sarat Chandra Sinha | INC | 6 years, 1 month |
| 11 Nov 1970 – 31 Jan 1972 | Mahendra Mohan Choudhry | INC | 1 year, 2 months |
| 28 Dec 1957 – 11 Nov 1970 | Bimala Prasad Chaliha | INC | 12 years, 10 months |
| 9 Aug 1950 – 28 Dec 1957 | Bishnuram Medhi | INC | 7 years, 4 months |
| 11 Feb 1946 – 5 Aug 1950 | Gopinath Bordoloi | INC | 4 years, 5 months |
| 25 Aug 1942 – 11 Feb 1946 | Muhammed Saadulah | AVP | 3 years, 5 months |
| 25 Dec 1941 – 24 Aug 1942 | President's / Governor's Rule — Governor's Rule (no ministry could be formed) | 7 months | |
| 17 Nov 1939 – 24 Dec 1941 | Muhammed Saadulah | AVP | 2 years, 1 month |
| 19 Sep 1938 – 17 Nov 1939 | Gopinath Bordoloi | INC | 1 year, 1 month |
| 1 Apr 1937 – 19 Sep 1938 | Muhammed Saadulah | AVP | 1 year, 5 months |
Includes the pre-1950 Assam Province period, when the office was titled 'Premier of Assam' rather than 'Chief Minister' (the designation formally became Chief Minister on 26 January 1950). Gopinath Bordoloi's tenure from 11 February 1946 continued uninterrupted through this designation change until his death in office on 5 August 1950. Muhammed Saadulah's party is given on Wikipedia as the 'Assam Valley Party', which was aligned first with Congress and later with the Muslim League.