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Sarbananda Sonowal
Official portrait, 2021
Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways
Incumbent
Assumed office 7 July 2021
Prime Minister	Narendra Modi
Preceded by	Mansukh L. Mandaviya
Union Minister of AYUSH
In office 7 July 2021 – 10 June 2024
Prime Minister	Narendra Modi
Preceded by	Shripad Naik
Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha
In office 1 October 2021 – 4 June 2024
Preceded by	Biswajit Daimary
Constituency	Assam
Member of the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs
Incumbent
Assumed office 12 July 2021
Prime Minister	Narendra Modi
14th Chief Minister of Assam
In office 24 May 2016 – 10 May 2021
Preceded by	Tarun Gogoi
Succeeded by	Himanta Biswa Sarma
Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports
In office 26 May 2014 – 23 May 2016
Prime Minister	Narendra Modi
Preceded by	Jitendra Singh
Succeeded by	Jitendra Singh
Union Minister of State for Entrepreneurship and Skill Development
In office 26 May 2014 – 9 November 2014
Prime Minister	Narendra Modi
Preceded by	office established
Succeeded by	Rajiv Pratap Rudy
Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha
In office 16 May 2014 – 23 May 2016
Preceded by	Ranee Narah
Succeeded by	Pradan Baruah
Constituency	Lakhimpur, Assam
In office 13 May 2004 – 15 May 2009
Preceded by	Paban Singh Ghatowar
Succeeded by	Paban Singh Ghatowar
Constituency	Dibrugarh, Assam
Incumbent
Assumed office 4 June 2024
Preceded by	Rameshwar Teli
Constituency	Dibrugarh, Assam
Member of Assam Legislative Assembly
In office 19 May 2016 – 28 September 2021
Preceded by	Rajib Lochan Pegu
Succeeded by	Bhuban Gam
Constituency	Majuli
In office 2001–2004
Preceded by	Joy Chandra Nagbanshi
Succeeded by	Jibantara Ghatowar
Constituency	Moran
President of Bharatiya Janata Party, Assam
In office 2012–2014
Preceded by	Ranjit Dutta
Succeeded by	Siddhartha Bhattacharya
In office 2015–2016
Preceded by	Siddhartha Bhattacharya
Succeeded by	Ranjeet Kumar Dass
Personal details
Born	(1962-10-31) 31 October 1962 (age 62) Mulukgaon, Assam, India
Political party	Bharatiya Janata Party (2011-present)
Other political affiliations	Asom Gana Parishad (2001-11)
Residence(s)	29, Pandit Ravi Shankar Shukla Lane, New Delhi, Delhi, India
Alma mater	DHSK College, Dibrugarh University (B.A.) Gauhati University (LL.B, B.C.J)
Profession	Politician, lawyer

Sarbananda Sonowal (IPA: xɔɹbanɔndɔ xʊnʊwal; born 31 October 1962) is an Indian politician who has served as Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways since 2021. He also has been the 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 from 2016 to 2021 and as a member of Assam Legislative Assembly for Majuli from 2016 to 2021 and for Moran from 2001 to 2004. Sonowal earlier served as the Assam state unit President of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from 2012 to 2014 and again from 2015 to 2016. He also served as the Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs, Government of India, from 2014 to 2016 and the Minister of State for Entrepreneurship and Skill Development from 2014 to 2014 and the member of the Lok Sabha from Lakhimpur from 2014 to 2016 and from Dibrugarh from 2004 to 2009. He was also the member of the Asom Gana Parishad from 2001 to 2011.

Early life and education

Sarbananda Sonowal was born on 31 October 1962 to an Assamese Hindu Sonowal family in Muluk Gaon located in the Dibrugarh district of Assam to Jibeswar Sonowal (father) and Dineswari Sonowal (mother).

Sonowal did his schooling at Don Bosco High School, Dibrugarh. He completed his B.A.(Hons) in English from Dibrugarh Hanumanbax Surajmall Kanoi College under Dibrugarh University and his LLB form Dibrugarh University and B.C.J from Gauhati University.

Political career

Sarbananda Sonowal was the President of Assam's oldest student body, the All Assam Students Union (AASU) from 1992 to 1999. After that, he became a member of the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP). In 2001, he was elected as the MLA from Moran constituency of Assam. In 2004, he became a Lok Sabha member representing the Dibrugarh constituency. He lost Lok Sabha election from Dibrugarh in 2009. He joined Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2011.

He was appointed president of BJP's Assam Unit in 2012 and is also a member of the party's National Executive. In the 2014 general election for Lok Sabha he was appointed to head Assam State's Lok Sabha Elections by BJP, and in the same year he was also elected as Member of Parliament, 16th Lok Sabha, from Lakhimpur Constituency. He was then appointed as Union Minister of State-Independent Charge, of the Government of India under the Modi Government at the center.

He was selected as the CM candidate of BJP for the 2016 Assam Assembly Election. On 19 May 2016, Sarbananda Sonowal won the Assembly Election from Majuli Constituency, and he became Chief Minister of Assam, the first CM of the state from Bharatiya Janata Party. In 2021 he was re-elected to Assam Vidhan Sabha from Majuli. He resigned as Chief Minister and proposed Himanta Biswa Sarma's name as his successor. He became Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways and Minister of AYUSH in Second Modi ministry when cabinet overhaul happened.

Joining BJP

Sarbananda Sonowal resigned from all executive posts within AGP and left the party, due to dissatisfaction with and amongst the senior leadership of the party who were trying to forge an alliance with a party that was against the scrapping of the controversial IMDT Act. On 8 February 2011, Sonowal joined BJP in the presence of the then BJP National President Nitin Gadkari and senior leaders like Varun Gandhi, Vijay Goel, Bijoya Chakravarty and state BJP president Ranjit Dutta. He was immediately appointed as a member of the BJP National Executive and later on the State Spokesperson of the BJP unit, prior to his current assignment to head the state as the new president. On 28 January 2016, BJP Parliamentary Board announced Sarbananda Sonowal as BJP Chief Ministerial candidate of Assam.

Personal life

He is not married.

Positions held

• 2001-2004: Elected as MLA, Assam Legislative Assembly from Moran Constituency
• 2004: Elected as Member of Parliament, 14th Lok Sabha from Dibrugarh Constituency
• 2005: Appointed Member, Consultative Committee, Ministry of Home Affairs
• 2006: Appointed Member, Consultative Committee, Ministry of Commerce & Industry
• 2011: Appointed National Executive Member of Bharatiya Janata Party
• 2011: Appointed State Spokesperson and General Secretary for Assam Bharatiya Janata Party
• 2012: Appointed State President for Assam Bharatiya Janata Party
• 2014: Appointed to head State's 16th Lok Sabha Elections Assam Bharatiya Janata Party
• 2014: Elected as Member of Parliament, 16th Lok Sabha from Lakhimpur Constituency
• 2014: Appointed Union Minister of State-Independent Charge, Republic of India
• 2016: Declared as BJP Chief minister candidate for 2016 Assam assembly elections.
• 2016-2021: Member of Assam Legislative Assembly from Majuli Constituency
• 2016–2021: 14th Chief Minister of Assam
• 2021–present: Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways and Minister of AYUSH in the Government of India
• 2021–present: Member of the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs in the Government of India
• 2021–2024: Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha
• 2024- Present: Member of Parliament, Dibrugarh Lok Sabha constituency

Social and cultural activities

• President - All Assam Students Union, 1992–1999
• Chairman - North East Students Organisation, 1996–2000

Arts & culture

The annual Guwahati International Film Festival was started during his tenure. It is organised by the State Government-owned Jyoti Chitraban (Film Studio) Society in association with the Dr. Bhupen Hazarika Regional Government Film and Television Institute. The first edition was held in October 2018, the second in October-November 2019. The 3rd edition has been postponed owing to the present COVID-19 pandemic to early 2021.

Role removing the IMDT Act

Faced with the problem of massive migration from Bangladesh into Assam, the government tried to put up legislation in place to detect and deport foreign nationals. Eventually, the Illegal Migrants (Determination by Tribunal) Act, 1983 (IMDT Act) came into being following the Assam Accord signed between the Government of India and the All Assam Students Union (AASU) to end the decade-long anti-foreigner agitation.

The IMDT Act is an instrument passed by Indian Parliament to detect illegal immigrants (from Bangladesh) and expel them from Assam. While the IMDT Act operates only in Assam, the Foreigners Act (1946) applies to the rest of the country. It is applicable to those Bangladeshi nationals who settled in Assam on or after 25 March 1971. Under the Act, the onus of proving the citizenship of a suspected illegal alien rests on the complainant, often the police. On the other hand, according to the provisions of the Foreigners Act, the onus lies with the person suspected to be an alien.

Sonowal took the issue of Bangladeshi infiltration to the Supreme Court. By its judgement dated 12 July 2005, the court struck down the Illegal Migrants (Determination by Tribunal) Act, 1983, as unconstitutional and termed Bangladeshi infiltration an "external aggression" and directed that "the Bangladesh nationals who have illegally crossed the border and have trespassed into Assam or are living in other parts of the country have no legal right of any kind to remain in India and they are liable to be deported."

See also

• Sonowal Kacharis
• All Assam Students Union
• Asom Gana Parishad
• Sarbananda Sonowal ministry (2016–2021)
• Third Modi ministry

References

1. Hemanta Kumar Nath (28 September 2021). "Day after election to Rajya Sabha, Sarbananda Sonowal resigns from Assam Assembly". India Today.
2. PTI (22 May 2016). "Sarbananda Sonowal resigns as Union Minister". The Financial Express. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
3. ^ "Chief Minister of Assam". Assam Legislative Assembly.
4. "'Jatir Nayak' Sarbananda Sonowal: Ex-Assam CM Begins New Innings in Modi Cabinet as Shipping Minister". News18. 8 July 2021.
5. "Sarbananda Sonowal, L Murugan Take Oath As Rajya Sabha Members". NDTV. 1 October 2021.
6. "Irani, Sonowal named for Cabinet committee on political affairs in rejig". Business Standard. 13 July 2021.
7. "Sarbananda Sonowal: A profile". The Hindu. 3 April 2016.
8. "Portfolios of the Union Council of Ministers". PM India. Retrieved 24 November 2015.
9. "Ballotin: Eye on Dispur". 16 March 2016.
10. "Former Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal takes oath as Union minister in PM Modi's Cabinet | India News-Times of India". The Times of India. ANI. 7 July 2021. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
11. Archived 3 December 2021 at the Wayback Machine
12. ^ "Sarbananda Sonowal". The Indian Express. 18 December 2014. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
13. "Modi cabinet rejig: Full list of new ministers". India Today. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
14. Moushumi Saikia (24 February 2018). "Assam influx: Scrapping of IMDT Act brought AIUDF's Badruddin Ajmal into politics as saviour of minorities". Firstpost.
15. "BJP departs from practice, names Sarbananda Sonowal as Assam CM candidate". The Economic Times. 28 January 2016.
16. "Yogi Adityanath is new entrant to India's bachelor chief ministers' club". India Today. 19 March 2017.
17. "Minister of State (Independent Charge): Sarbananda Sonowal". NDTV. 27 May 2014.
18. "Ahead of Assam elections, BJP names Sarbananda Sonowal as CM candidate - Firstpost". 28 January 2016.
19. The Economic Times (6 June 2024). "Bullish Wins & Bearish Losses: Here are the key contests and results of 2024 Lok Sabha polls". Archived from the original on 27 July 2024. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
20. "Promising Assam Leader Sarbananda Sonowal in Cabinet". Retrieved 6 June 2014.

External links

• Home Page on the Parliament of India's Website
• Sarbananda Sonowal on Twitter
• Sarbananda Sonowal on Facebook

v t e First Modi ministry
Prime Minister: Narendra Modi
v t e Cabinet Ministers Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Radha Mohan Singh Atomic Energy Narendra Modi Chemicals and Fertilizers D. V. Sadananda Gowda Civil Aviation Suresh Prabhu Commerce and Industry Suresh Prabhu Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Ram Vilas Paswan Corporate Affairs Arun Jaitley Defence Nirmala Sitharaman Drinking Water and Sanitation Uma Bharati Earth Sciences Harsh Vardhan Electronics and Information Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad External Affairs Sushma Swaraj Finance Arun Jaitley Food Processing Industry Harsimrat Kaur Badal Coal Piyush Goyal Environment, Forest and Climate Change Harsh Vardhan Health and Family Welfare Jagat Prakash Nadda Heavy Industry and Public Enterprises Anant Geete Home Affairs Rajnath Singh Human Resource Development Prakash Javadekar Information and Broadcasting Smriti Irani Law and Justice Ravi Shankar Prasad Overseas Indian Affairs Sushma Swaraj Panchayati Raj Narendra Singh Tomar Parliamentary Affairs Narendra Singh Tomar Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Narendra Modi Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan Railways Piyush Goyal Rural Development Narendra Singh Tomar Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Dharmendra Pradhan Science and Technology Harsh Vardhan Social Justice and Empowerment Thaawar Chand Gehlot Space Narendra Modi Statistics and Programme Implementation D. V. Sadananda Gowda Steel Chaudhary Birender Singh Shipping and Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari Textiles Smriti Irani Tribal Affairs Jual Oram Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Nitin Gadkari Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi Mines Narendra Singh Tomar
v t e Ministers of State (Independent Charge) AYUSH Shripad Yasso Naik Communications Manoj Sinha Culture Mahesh Sharma Development of North Eastern Region Jitendra Singh Labour and Employment Santosh Kumar Gangwar Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Giriraj Singh New and Renewable Energy Raj Kumar Singh Planning Rao Inderjit Singh Power Raj Kumar Singh Tourism Alphons Kannanthanam Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Hardeep Singh Puri Youth Affairs and Sports Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore
v t e Ministers of State Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Parsottambhai Rupala S. S. Ahluwalia Sudarshan Bhagat Atomic Energy Jitendra Singh Chemicals and Fertilizers Mansukh L. Mandaviya Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Disturbution Chhotu Ram Chaudhary Corporate Affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal Defence Subhash Ramrao Bhamre Drinking Water and Sanitation Ramesh Jigajinagi Earth Sciences Y. S. Chowdary Electronics and IT P. P. Chaudhary External Affairs V. K. Singh Finance Arjun Ram Meghwal Santosh Gangwar Food Processing Industry Niranjan Jyoti Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel Faggan Singh Kulaste Heavy Industry and Public Enterprises G. M. Siddeshwara Home Affairs Hansraj Ahir Kiren Rijiju Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Babul Supriyo Rao Inderjit Singh Human Resource Development Satya Pal Singh Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore Law and Justice P. P. Chaudhary Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Haribhai Parthibhai Chaudhary Giriraj Singh Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi Overseas Indian Affairs V. K. Singh Panchayati Raj Parsottambhai Rupala Parliamentary Affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal Vijay Goel Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Jitendra Singh Prime Minister's Office Jitendra Singh Railways Manoj Sinha Road Transport and Highways Mansukh L. Mandaviya Pon Radhakrishnan Rural Development Ram Kripal Yadav Science and Technology Y. S. Chowdary Social Justice and Empowerment Krishan Pal Gurjar Ramdas Athawale Vijay Sampla Steel Vishnudeo Sai Shipping Mansukh L. Mandaviya Pon Radhakrishnan Space Jitendra Singh Textiles Ajay Tamta Tribal Affairs Jasvantsinh Sumanbhai Bhabhor Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Satya Pal Singh Arjun Ram Meghwal Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi Urban Development Babul Supriyo Rao Inderjit Singh

v t e Second Modi ministry
Prime Minister: Modi
v t e Cabinet Ministers Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Arjun Munda Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries Giriraj Singh Atomic Energy Narendra Modi Chemicals and Fertilizers Mansukh Mandaviya Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal Communications Ashwini Vaishnaw Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Piyush Goyal Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman Defence Rajnath Singh Earth Sciences Kiren Rijiju Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw External Affairs S. Jaishankar Finance Nirmala Sitharaman Food Processing Industry Narendra Singh Tomar Coal Pralhad Joshi Education Dharmendra Pradhan Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav Health and Family Welfare Mansukh L. Mandaviya Heavy Industry Mahendra Nath Pandey Home Affairs Amit Shah Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal Jal Shakti Gajendra Singh Shekhawat Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Narayan Rane Panchayati Raj Giriraj Singh Parliamentary Affairs Pralhad Joshi Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Narendra Modi Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw Rural Development Giriraj Singh Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Mahendra Nath Pandey Social Justice and Empowerment Virendra Kumar Khatik Space Narendra Modi Ministry of Steel Jyotiraditya Scindia Shipping and Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari Textiles Smriti Irani Tribal Affairs Arjun Munda Women and Child Development Smriti Irani Minority Affairs Smriti Irani Mines Pralhad Joshi
v t e Ministers of State (Independent Charge) Development of North Eastern Region Jitendra Singh Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri Labour and Employment Bhupendar Yadav New and Renewable Energy Raj Kumar Singh Planning Rao Inderjit Singh Power Raj Kumar Singh Science and Technology Jitendra Singh Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal Statistics and Programme Implementation Rao Inderjit Singh Tourism Prahlad Singh Patel Youth Affairs and Sports Anurag Thakur
v t e Ministers of State Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Shobha Karandlaje Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries L. Murugan Atomic Energy Jitendra Singh Chemicals and Fertilizers Bhagwanth Khuba Commerce and Industry Anupriya Patel Communications Devusinh Jesingbhai Chauhan Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Disturbution Raosaheb Danve Corporate Affairs Rao Inderjit Singh Defence Ajay Bhatt Electronics and IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar Environment, Forest and Climate Change Ashwini Kumar Choubey External Affairs V. Muraleedharan Finance Pankaj Chaudhary Bhagwat Karad Food Processing Industry Shobha Karandlaje Health and Family Welfare Bharati Pawar Heavy Industry and Public Enterprises Arjun Ram Meghwal Home Affairs Ajay Mishra Teni Nityanand Rai Nisith Pramanik Jal Shakti Rajeev Chandrasekhar Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Bhanu Pratap Singh Verma Parliamentary Affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal V. Muraleedharan Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Jitendra Singh Prime Minister's Office Jitendra Singh Railways Raosaheb Danve Darshana Jardosh Road Transport and Highways V. K. Singh Rural Development Niranjan Jyoti Social Justice and Empowerment A. Narayanaswamy Ramdas Athawale Pratima Bhoumik Steel Faggan Singh Kulaste Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Raj Kumar Singh Space Jitendra Singh Tribal Affairs Bharati Pawar Women and Child Development Mahendra Munjapara

v t e Members of the 16th Lok Sabha from Northeast states
GE 2014	Arunachal Pradesh Kiren Rijiju Ninong Ering Assam Biren Singh Engti Sirajuddin Ajmal Badruddin Ajmal Rameswar Teli Bijoya Chakravarty Kamakhya Prasad Tasa Gaurav Gogoi Radheshyam Biswas Naba Kumar Sarania Sarbananda Sonowal Ramen Deka Rajen Gohain Sushmita Dev Ram Prasad Sarmah Manipur Thokchom Meinya Thangso Baite Meghalaya Vincent Pala P. A. Sangma Mizoram C. L. Ruala Nagaland Neiphiu Rio Sikkim Prem Das Rai Tripura Jitendra Chaudhury Sankar Prasad Datta
Bye-elections 2016	Meghalaya Conrad Sangma Pre-bye poll: P. A. Sangma - death Assam Pradan Baruah Pre-bye poll: Sarbananda Sonowal - resigned
15th LS members 17th LS membersMembers of the 16th Lok Sabha from States AP AR AS BR CT GA GJ HR HP JH KA KL MP MH ML MN MZ NL OR PB RJ SK TG TN TR UP UT WB Union territories AN CH DH DL JK LA LD PY

• People from Dibrugarh district
• Living people
• 1961 births
• Assamese people
• Gauhati University alumni
• Dibrugarh University alumni
• India MPs 2004–2009
• Asom Gana Parishad politicians
• Bharatiya Janata Party politicians from Assam
• Lok Sabha members from Assam
• India MPs 2014–2019
• Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports
• Union ministers of state of India with independent charge
• Assam MLAs 2001–2006
• Assam MLAs 2016–2021
• Chief ministers of Assam
• Chief ministers from Bharatiya Janata Party
• Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship
• Narendra Modi ministry
• Assam MLAs 2021–2026
• India MPs 2024–2029