Following elections to the Assam Legislative Assembly, the governor usually invites the party (or coalition) with a majority of seats to form the government.

Ten of these belonged to the Indian National Congress, including Gopinath Bordoloi, the first chief minister of Assam, and Anwara Taimur, India's first female Muslim chief minister.

Congress monopoly in the state was brought to an end when Golap Borbora led the Janata party to victory in the 1978 assembly elections.

Sarbananda Sonowal became the Assam's first chief minister from the Bharatiya Janata Party, when he was sworn in on 24 May 2016.

On 9 May 2021, Himanta Biswa Sarma is announced as the 15th chief minister of Assam.