PrinceRey4 at 17:44, 1 April 2026

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{{Short description|1996 cabinet in the Indian state of Assam}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox government cabinet
|date_formed=22 April 1996
|date_dissolved=14 May 1996
|government_head=[[Bhumidhar Barman]]
|state_head=[[Lokanath Misra]]
|state_head_title=Governor
|government_head_title=Chief Minister
|opposition_party=[[Asom Gana Parishad]]
|political_parties=*'''[[Indian National Congress|INC]]'''
|last_election=[[1996 Assam Legislative Assembly election|1996]]
|legislature_term=5 years
|predecessor=[[Second Saikia ministry|Saikia II]]
|successor=[[Second Mahanta ministry|Mahanta II]]
|image=File:Dr. Bhumidhar Barman, Former Chief Minister of Assam and Agriculture Adviser to the Chief Minister of Assam addressing at the Public Information Campaign on Bharat Nirman, organized by Press Information Bureau (cropped).jpg}}

The '''Barman Ministry''' was the Cabinet of Assam headed by [[Chief Minister of Assam]] [[Bhumidhar Barman]] that was formed following the [[Hiteswar Saikia#Death|death]] of Chief Minister [[Hiteswar Saikia]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6hqOAAAAMAAJ |title=The Journal of Parliamentary Information |date=1996 |publisher=Lok Sabha Secretariat |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Hiteswar Saikia's death leaves Assam Congress(I) rudderless, peace ever more fragile |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/indiascope/story/19960515-hiteswar-saikias-death-leaves-assam-congressi-rudderless-peace-ever-more-fragile-834852-1996-05-14 |access-date=2023-04-08 |website=India Today |date=15 May 1996 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Elections 1996: AGP bounces back to defeat a weak Congress (I) in Assam |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/cover-story/story/19960531-elections-1996-agp-bounces-back-to-defeat-a-weak-congress-in-assam-832980-1996-05-30 |access-date=2023-04-08 |website=India Today |date=31 May 1996 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite book |last=Malhotra |first=G. C. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DFqbAAAAMAAJ |title=Cabinet Responsibility to Legislature: Motions of Confidence and No-confidence in Lok Sabha and State Legislatures |date=2004 |publisher=Lok Sabha Secretariat |isbn=978-81-200-0400-9 |language=en}}</ref> The ministry had 11 Cabinet ministers along with 3 ministers of state.<ref name=":4">{{cite web |title=Bhumidhar Barman 1996 ministers |url=https://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/50847/10/10_chapter%201.pdf |accessdate=2018-11-05 |publisher=shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/}}</ref> The ministry was dissolved following the [[1996 Assam Legislative Assembly election]], which resulted in the formation of the [[Second Mahanta Ministry]]. Barman was the shortest serving Chief Minister of Assam, with a tenure of 22 days.<ref>{{Cite web |last=LST |first=Team |date=2021-05-31 |title=List of Chief Ministers of Assam (1950-2026) – Download PDF |url=https://www.letsstudytogether.co/list-of-chief-ministers-of-assam-pdf/ |access-date=2023-04-08 |website=Lets Study Together |language=en-US}}</ref>

== History ==
On 22 April 1996, incumbent Chief Minister [[Hiteswar Saikia]] died at the age of 61.<ref name=":1" /> Saikia had been Chief Minister since the [[1991 Assam Legislative Assembly election|1991 election]], in which Congress gained a clear majority in the [[Assam Legislative Assembly]] by winning 65 out of the 125 seats. Saikia had been campaigning for the [[1996 Assam Legislative Assembly election|1996 election]] days before his death, despite doctors insisting he take rest. Saikia's tenure as Chief Minister was marked by allegations of corruption and nepotism, and four motions of no confidence had been filed against the cabinet which all were negated. Saikia's unexpected death had a great impact, with the AGP Leader [[Prafulla Kumar Mahanta]] stating that "Saikia leaves a great void" and that Saikia "had the state under a spell." The uncertainty following his death stemmed largely from the ongoing violence and division within the state at the time.<ref name=":1" />

Hours after Saikia's death, the Congress leadership chose then Health Minister Bhumidhar Barman as the new caretaker Chief Minister. This followed the contingency plan created by Prime Minister [[P. V. Narasimha Rao]], who had been in Assam after the deterioration in Saikia's death. Rao lent his plane to Saikia for his treatment in New Delhi, delaying his return and then spending the night in Guwahati talking to members of his party in the event of Saikia's death. Barman's appointment was seen as for continuity as the Congress did not have a leader that was able to match the stature of Saikia. It was considered difficult for Rao to find a long-term replacement for Saikia as neither of his Union Ministers [[Santosh Mohan Dev]] and [[Matang Sinh]] were regarded as suitable for the position. Due to the limited options, Rao settled on Barman as Chief Minister. Barman's political image at the time was dominated by his survival of 3 assassination attempts by the UFLA, despite most his ministerial career under Saikia being overshadowed by Saikia. However, there were other potential candidates considered for Saikia's position, including senior congressman such as [[Golok Rajbanshi]], [[Jiba Kanta Gogoi]], Hiranya Bora, [[Tarun Gogoi]] and Saikia's widow [[Hemoprova Saikia]].<ref name=":1" />

Barman was sworn in as Chief Minister on 22 April 1996. Appointments to his cabinet included the former Chief Minister [[Anwara Taimur]].<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":4" />

In the [[1996 Assam Legislative Assembly election]], held on 27 April 1996, the [[Asom Gana Parishad|AGP]]-[[Autonomous State Demand Committee|ASDC]], [[Communist Party of India|CPI]], [[Communist Party of India (Marxist)|CPI (M)]], and UPP alliance secured an absolute majority in the assembly with AGP winning 58 seats and Congress winning 34. Days before Saikia had died, he admitted that he feared about the prospects of Congress. The Congress defeat was attributed largely due to the AGP resurgence, voting desertions and the tenure and loss of Hiteswar Saikia. Senior congressman Golok Rajbanshi claimed that "Saikia and his sycophants finished off the party." Among the congress MLAs who were defeated in the election were the incumbent Chief Minister Barman along with former Chief Minister Anwara Taimur. Mahanta went onto form his second ministry and was sworn in as Chief Minister on 15 May.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" />

== Ministers ==
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Name
!Constituency
!Party
|-
|Bhumidhar Barman
Chief Minister
|[[Barkhetry Assembly constituency|Barkhetry]]
|[[Indian National Congress|INC]]
|-
| colspan="3" |'''Cabinet Ministers'''
|-
|[[Anwara Taimur]]
|[[Dalgaon Assembly constituency|Dalgaon]]
|[[Indian National Congress|INC]]
|-
|Mukut Sarma
|[[Nowgong Assembly constituency|Nowgong]]
|[[Indian National Congress|INC]]
|-
|[[Gobinda Chandra Langthasa]]
|[[Haflong Assembly constituency|Haflong]]
|[[Indian National Congress|INC]]
|-
|[[Zahirul Islam (politician)|Zahirul Islam]]
|[[Mankachar Assembly constituency|Mankachar]]
|[[Indian National Congress|INC]]
|-
|Bijit Saikia
|[[Tezpur Assembly constituency|Tezpur]]
|[[Indian National Congress|INC]]
|-
|[[Dileswar Tanti]]
|[[Doom Dooma Assembly constituency|Doom Dooma]]
|[[Indian National Congress|INC]]
|-
|[[Ardhendu Kumar Dey]]
|[[Hojai Assembly constituency|Hojai]]
|[[Indian National Congress|INC]]
|-
|[[Silvius Condpan]]
|[[Majbat Assembly constituency|Majbat]]
|[[Indian National Congress|INC]]
|-
|[[Nagen Neog]]
|[[Golaghat Assembly constituency|Golgahat]]
|[[Indian National Congress|INC]]
|-
|[[Devanand Konwar]]
|[[Thowra Assembly constituency|Thowra]]
|[[Indian National Congress|INC]]
|-
|[[Dinesh Prasad Goala]]
|[[Lakhipur Assembly constituency|Lakhipur]]
|[[Indian National Congress|INC]]
|-
| colspan="3" |'''Ministers of State'''
|-
|[[Sarat Barkotoky]]
|[[Sonari Assembly constituency|Sonari]]
|[[Indian National Congress|INC]]
|-
|Nurul Hussain
|[[Samaguri Assembly constituency|Samaguri]]
|[[Indian National Congress|INC]]
|-
|Goneswar Pegu
|[[Jonai Assembly constituency|Jonai]]
|[[Indian National Congress|INC]]
|}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}{{Assam ministries}}
[[Category:Assam ministries|Barman]]
[[Category:Indian ministries established in 1996]]
[[Category:Indian ministries disestablished in 1996]]
[[Category:Indian National Congress state ministries of Assam|Barman]]
[[Category:1996 in Indian politics]]

Barman ministry - Revision history

PrinceRey4 at 17:44, 1 April 2026