India, June 5 -- The Assam Cabinet will be expanded on Friday with the induction of 12 ministers, including three new faces, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

The strength of the Assam Cabinet will now be 17, including the chief minister, as four other ministers had been sworn in earlier on May 12.

The maximum allowed strength of the Council of Ministers is 19. Thus, two positions would be left vacant for now.

The new faces are Ashwini Ray Sarkar, Nilima Devi and Sushanta Borgohain, and they all belong to the BJP.

AGP's Keshab Mahanta, also a minister in the previous NDA ministry, has also been included in the ministerial list. Biswajit Daimary, the Speaker of the previous Assembly, is also on the list of new ministers.

The re...