Himanta Biswa Sarma Relies on Bureaucracy Over Cabinet for Pre-Election Scheme Delivery
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma is increasingly leaning on his trusted bureaucrats rather than cabinet ministers to execute high-stakes schemes ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections. The strategy reflects his confidence in bureaucrats’ administrative efficiency, loyalty, and accountability, contrasting with ministers who may face political distractions or inconsistent performance.
Under this model, key schemes are routed through select IAS officers, bypassing cabinet layers to ensure timely, measurable outcomes. Chief Secretary Dr. Ravi Kota (IAS, 1993 batch) serves as the administrative nerve center, leveraging his expertise from GST implementation and Finance Commission roles. Principal Secretary Dr. Krishna Kumar Dwivedi directly coordinates with Sarma, managing Power and Assam Bhawan portfolios for seamless central-state alignment. Secretary Ghanshyam Das (IAS, 2012 batch) oversees day-to-day policy advisory, driving rapid rollout of welfare and infrastructure projects.
Finance officials Jayant Narlikar and Dilip Kumar Borah prioritize budgets for election-year programs like Orunodoi and health missions, while Home Secretary Riju Gogoi ensures clean execution via the CM’s Special Vigilance Cell. Recent reshuffles of 18 IAS officers further underscore Sarma’s trust, positioning loyalists such as L. Sweety Changsan (Revenue) and Gyanendra Dev Tripathi (Transport) in voter-facing schemes.
By centralizing control with a reliable bureaucratic network, Sarma minimizes political risk and ensures that programs—from flood relief to job initiatives—are delivered efficiently, demonstrating that administrators can outperform elected colleagues in crunch time.
