Congress MLA loses status of leader of opposition in Assam assembly

The Speaker of the Assam legislative assembly withdrew the recognition of Debabrata Saikia as Leader of the Opposition after two Congress MLAs quit to join the ruling BJP reducing the grand old party’s number of lawmakers to 20, one less than the 21 needed to have one-sixth of the total members of the assembly.

Published on: Jan 5, 2021, 19:50:30 IST

Hindustan Times, Guwahati | By Utpal Parashar

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Leader of the Congress legislature party in Assam assembly Debabrata Saikia has lost his position as leader of opposition (LoP) after two MLAs of his party quit and joined the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Congress MLA who was the leader of the Opposition in the Assam legislative assembly. (https://twitter.com/DsaikiaOfficial)

According to a notification on January 1 issued by AN Deka, secretary, Assam legislative assembly, Saikia, who represents the Nazira constituency, would lose the salary and other perks associated with the position.

With two MLAs - Ajanta Neog and Rajdeep Goala - quitting the party, Congress’s strength in the 126-member assembly had been reduced to 20 members.

“The present strength of the Indian National Congress legislature party in Assam legislative assembly is not equal to the quorum fixed to constitute a sitting of the House, that is one-sixth of the total number of members of the House,” said the notification.

“Therefore, the honourable Speaker, Assam legislative assembly has been pleased to withdraw the recognition of Debabrata Saikia, MLA, as Leader of the Opposition, Assam legislative assembly with effect from January 1, 2021,” it added.

The Congress had won 26 seats in the 2016 assembly polls. The same year, its MLA from Baithalangso Mansing Rongpi resigned and later won as a BJP candidate from the same seat.

The party’s MLA from Jania, Abdul Khaleque won from the Barpeta Lok Sabha seat in 2019. The seat was later bagged by All India United Democratic Front in the bye-election.

The Congress’s strength came down further last year with the deaths of two MLAs, Pranab Gogoi of Sivasagar and former chief minister Tarun Gogoi, who represented Titabar seat.

Last month Neog and Goala, who represented the Golaghat and Lakhipur seats respectively, quit the party and joined BJP, bringing Congress strength down to 20 members - one less than the 21 members needed to have one-sixth of the total members of the assembly.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Utpal Parashar
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.Read More

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