Photo Courtesy: northeasttoday
Guwahati: Four-time BJP legislator Ranjeet Kumar Dass was unanimously elected Speaker of the 16th Assam Legislative Assembly on Thursday. He becomes the first person in the history of the state to hold this position for two separate terms. Pro tem Speaker Chandra Mohan Patowary confirmed the appointment after noting that three nominations were filed for Dass and no other candidates entered the race.
Dass represents the Bhowanipur-Sorbhog constituency and has served as a member of the Assembly for four consecutive terms since 2011. His previous tenure as Speaker began in 2016 when the BJP first established a government in Assam. Between 2021 and 2026, he served as a cabinet minister under Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and also led the Assam unit of the BJP.
Chief Minister Sarma praised the election as a historic achievement for the state. During the session, members of the ruling coalition and the opposition offered their support. Congress MLA Jakir Hussain Sikdar asked the new Speaker to maintain impartiality and ensure the opposition is given adequate time to speak during proceedings.
In his address, Dass committed to maintaining neutrality while acknowledging the difficulty of separating himself from his political ideology. He also expressed a desire to move away from the colonial roots of the title Speaker, suggesting that terms like Sabhapati or Adhyaksh would better represent Indian traditions. He closed by calling on his colleagues to collaborate and transform the Assam Assembly into a model institution for the rest of the nation.
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