Tarun Gogoi constituted his first ministry and became the 13th Chief Minister of Assam on 17 May 2001. Following the 2001 Assam Legislative Assembly election, Gogoi became Chief Minister succeeding AGP chief minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta. There were 12 cabinet ministers and 4 ministers of state in the ministry.

Hiteswar Saikia was an Indian politician who served as the 10th chief minister of Assam for two terms, firstly from 28 February 1983 to 23 December 1985 and then from 30 June 1991 to 22 April 1996. He was the 1st Governor of Mizoram from 1987 to 1989 and the 6th Lieutenant Governor of Mizoram from 1986 to 1987. He was the education minister in the Government of Assam from and from 1980 to 1981 and again from 1982 to 1982. He was the Minister of State for Home, Education And public relations from 1972 to 1974 and the minister of Home from 1974 to 1978. He represented the Nazira constituency in the Assam Legislative Assembly from 1972 to 1988 and again from 1991 to 1996.