Sarbananda Sonowal (born 31 October 1962) is an Indian politician of the Bharatiya Janata Party from Assam and the Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways. A former president of the All Assam Students’ Union, he became the first BJP Chief Minister of Assam in 2016 and held the office until 2021. He earlier served as Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports.
Quick Facts
| Full name | Sarbananda Sonowal |
| Born | 31 October 1962, Mulukgaon, Dibrugarh district, Assam, India |
| Age | 63 |
| Party | Bharatiya Janata Party (since 2011); earlier Asom Gana Parishad |
| Offices | Chief Minister of Assam (2016–2021); Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (2021–present) |
| Constituency | Dibrugarh (Lok Sabha) |
| Education | Dibrugarh University (B.A., LL.B.); Gauhati University (BCJ) |
| Community | Sonowal Kachari |
Early Life
Sonowal was born in a village in Dibrugarh district into the Sonowal Kachari tribal community. He studied law and journalism and rose through the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU), serving as its president from 1992 to 1999, and then led the North East Students’ Organisation.
Political Career
He joined the Asom Gana Parishad, was elected to the state assembly from Moran in 2001 and to the Lok Sabha from Dibrugarh in 2004.
He petitioned the Supreme Court against the Illegal Migrants (Determination by Tribunals) Act, which applied only in Assam and made it hard to identify illegal immigrants. The court struck the law down in 2005, which earned him the title “Jatiya Nayak” (national hero) from AASU.
He joined the BJP in 2011 and became its state president. He won Lakhimpur in 2014 and became Minister of State with independent charge of Sports and Youth Affairs under Narendra Modi. Named the party’s candidate for Chief Minister, he led it to its first victory in Assam in May 2016, ending fifteen years of Congress rule. His term included the publication of the National Register of Citizens in 2019 and protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. The BJP won again in 2021, after which Himanta Biswa Sarma was made Chief Minister and Sonowal moved to the Union cabinet, where he has also handled the AYUSH ministry.
Personal Life
Sonowal is unmarried. He is a keen follower of football and other sports.
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where was Sarbananda Sonowal born?
Sarbananda Sonowal was born on 31 October 1962 in Mulukgaon, Dibrugarh district, Assam, India and is 63 years old.
Featured image: Sarbananda Sonowal, then Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports, speaks at a conference of state ministers, New Delhi, 21 March 2015. Photo by Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, licensed under Government Open Data License – India, via Wikimedia Commons.
