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Early Life And Education

Born on October 31, 1962, in Muluk Gaon of Assam's Dibrugarh district, Sonowal comes from the Sonowal community. He completed his schooling at Don Bosco High School in Dibrugarh. He later earned a Bachelor's degree in English from DHSK College under Dibrugarh University and pursued LLB and Bachelor of Communication and Journalism (BCJ) degrees from Gauhati University.

Sonowal first gained prominence through student activism. He served as President of the All Assam Students' Union (AASU) from 1992 to 1999, a period when the organisation remained influential in Assam's socio-political landscape. He also chaired the North East Students Organisation (NESO) from 1996 to 2000, representing student interests across the region.

Sarbananda Sonowal has remained unmarried throughout his political career. Known for maintaining a low-profile personal life, he has largely focused on organisational work, governance and public affairs over the past three decades.

Political Journey From AGP To BJP

After his student politics stint, Sonowal joined the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP). He entered electoral politics in 2001 when he won the Moran Assembly seat in Assam. In 2004, he was elected to the Lok Sabha from Dibrugarh, marking his arrival on the national political stage. However, he lost the seat in the 2009 general elections.

In February 2011, Sonowal quit the AGP and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Soon after joining, he became a member of the BJP National Executive and later served as the party's spokesperson and general secretary in Assam. In 2012, he was appointed BJP's Assam unit president, playing a key role in strengthening the party's base in the state.

From Union Minister To First BJP CM Of Assam

Sonowal contested the 2014 Lok Sabha elections from Lakhimpur and secured a decisive victory. Following the BJP's win at the Centre, he was inducted into Prime Minister Narendra Modi's cabinet as Minister of State (Independent Charge). He handled the Sports and Youth Affairs portfolio and also oversaw Entrepreneurship and Skill Development.

Ahead of the 2016 Assam Assembly elections, the BJP named Sonowal as its chief ministerial candidate. The party won the election, ending years of Congress rule in the state. Sonowal became Assam's first BJP Chief Minister and represented the Majuli Assembly constituency. He remained in office from 2016 to 2021.

Despite winning the 2021 Assembly election from Majuli, Sonowal stepped aside and proposed Himanta Biswa Sarma's name as Chief Minister. He subsequently moved back to national politics and joined the Union Cabinet as Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways. He also briefly handled the AYUSH portfolio following the cabinet reshuffle.

Legal Battle Against IMDT Act

One of Sonowal's most significant political interventions came through his challenge to the Illegal Migrants (Determination by Tribunal) Act, 1983. He approached the Supreme Court against the law, arguing that it hindered efforts to identify illegal immigrants in Assam. In 2005, the Supreme Court struck down the Act as unconstitutional, a verdict widely seen as a major milestone in Assam's political discourse on illegal migration.