Guwahati

Senior NDA leaders on Tuesday offered prayers at the revered Kamakhya temple in Guwahati ahead of the swearing-in ceremony of the third BJP-led government in Assam.

Among those who paid obeisance to Goddess Kamakhya were Union minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh, BJP national president Nitin Nabin, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar and Rajya Sabha MP Praful Patel.

BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma is set to take oath as chief minister for a second consecutive term, along with four other MLAs -- two from his party and one each from alliance partners AGP and BPF.

The ceremony, to be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union ministers, chief ministers and deputy chief ministers of NDA-ruled states, will be held at the Khanapara Veterinary College ground.

Speaking to reporters after offering prayers, Nabin said, "May Goddess Kamakhya continue to bless the people of Assam. With her blessings, the people of Assam have once again given their mandate to the BJP. We are here to seek blessings ahead of this auspicious occasion."

Goa Chief Minister Sawant said he prayed for the fulfilment of PM Modi's vision of a developed India and for the strength to realise his 'Viksit Goa' mission.

Congratulating the people of Assam, he said the state had once again reposed faith in Sarma's leadership.

Delhi Chief Minister Gupta said the BJP's return to power for a third term in Assam reflected the blessings of Goddess Kamakhya, along with the people's trust in the party and Sarma’s leadership.

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"This is the result of Himanta Biswa Sarma's hard work and the love and trust that people have in him. Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, the journey towards a developed India and a developed Assam is moving forward," she said.

The BJP-led NDA retained power in Assam with a sweeping two-thirds majority in the just-held assembly polls. The BJP won 82 seats in the 126-member House, while allies Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) secured 10 seats each.