{{Short description|Legislature of the Indian state of Assam}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2023}} {{Use Indian English|date=January 2023}} {{Infobox legislature | background_color = #FF9933 | text_color = white | name = Assam Legislative Assembly | native_name = | coa_pic = Assam Legislative Assembly logo.png | coa_res = | legislature = 16th Assam Assembly | house_type = Unicameral | term_limits = 5 years | body = Assam Legislature | leader1_type = Governor | leader1 = '''Lakshman Prasad Acharya''' | leader3_type = Speaker | leader3 = '''Ranjeet Kumar Dass''' | party3 = '''BJP''' | election3 = | leader4_type = Deputy Speaker | leader4 = Vacant | party4 = | election4 = | leader5_type = Leader of the House <br /> (Chief Minister) | leader5 = '''Himanta Biswa Sarma''' | party5 = '''BJP''' | election5 = 10 May 2021 | leader6_type = Leader of the Opposition | leader6 = Wazed Ali Choudhury | party6 = INC | election6 = | leader7_type = Deputy Leader of the Opposition | leader7 = Joy Prakash Das | party7 = INC | election7 = | members = '''126''' | structure1 = {{Switcher | 300px | By party | 300px | By alliance }} | structure1_res = 300px | political_groups1 = <!-- Do not make changes to Party totals without making corresponding changes under section 'Members of Legislative Assembly' --> '''Government (102)''' :{{Color box|{{party color|National Democratic Alliance}}}} NDA (102) :*{{Color box|{{party color|Bharatiya Janata Party}}}} BJP (82) :*{{Color box|{{party color|Asom Gana Parishad}}}} AGP (10) :*{{Color box|{{party color|Bodoland People's Front}}}} BPF (10) '''Official Opposition (21)''' :{{Color box|{{party color|Asom Sonmilito Morcha}}}} ASOM (21) :*{{Color box|{{party color|Indian National Congress}}}} INC (19) :*{{Color box|{{party color|Raijor Dal}}}} RD (2) '''Other opposition''' (3) :*{{Color box|{{party color|All India United Democratic Front}}}} AIUDF (2) :*{{Color box|{{party color|All India Trinamool Congress}}}} AITC (1) | voting_system1 = First past the post | last_election1 = 9 April 2026 | next_election1 = 2031 | session_room = File:Assam Legislative Assembly complex with New Assembly Hall.jpg | session_res = | session_alt = | meeting_place = Assam Legislative Assembly complex, <br /> Dispur, Guwahati, Assam, India - 781006. | website = [https://assambidhansabha.org/ www.assambidhansabha.org] | foundation = {{start date and age|df=yes|1937|4|7|p=1|br=1}}<ref>{{cite news|title=A Brief Historical Profile of Assam Legislative Assembly|url=https://assambidhansabha.org/about|access-date=1 April 2022|work=assambidhansabha.org|language=en}}</ref> | first_election1 = 1952 Assam Legislative Assembly election }} The '''Assam Legislative Assembly''' is the unicameral legislature of the Indian state of Assam. The Legislative Assembly comprises 126 Members of Legislative Assembly, directly elected from single-seat constituencies. Its term is five years, unless sooner dissolved. The presiding officer of the Assembly is the Speaker, currently unoccupied.<ref>{{cite news|title=BJP legislator Biswajit Daimary becomes new Assam assembly speaker|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/guwahati/bjp-legislator-biswajit-daimary-becomes-new-assam-assembly-speaker/articleshow/82831618.cms|publisher=Times of India|date=21 May 2021}}</ref>
Members of the Assembly are directly elected by the people of Assam through elections held every five years, unless the Assembly is dissolved earlier. The current Assembly was elected in '''April–May 2026''', and the next election is scheduled for 2031. The Assembly plays a key role in law-making for the state, handling crucial matters such as state budgets, development policies, and local governance. It has the authority to legislate on issues specified under the State and Concurrent Lists of the Constitution of India.
The Assembly functions through various committees that handle specific issues, including the budget, public accounts, and legislative procedures. The Chief Minister, who is the leader of the majority party in the Assembly, holds executive powers and is the head of the state government. The current Chief Minister is Himanta Biswa Sarma from the BJP, who has been in office since May 2026.
The 2026 election was a landslide victory for the BJP, as the INC barely emerged as the principal opposition force, alongside its allies such as the AIUDF and BPF.
==History== thumb|left|Assam Legislative Assembly
According to provisions of the Government of India Act 1935, a bicameral legislature of Assam province came into existence in 1937. After the Government of India Act 1935 was passed, it paved the way for the formation of Assam Legislative Assembly, and became a bicameral legislature. The strength of the House was 108, where all the members were elected. The Legislative Council (Upper House) was not less than 21 and not more than 22 members.
The first sitting of its lower house, the Assam Legislative Assembly, took place on 7 April 1937 in the Assembly Chamber at Shillong. Shillong was the capital of the composite State of Assam. It had a strength of 108 members. However, the strength of the Assembly was reduced to 71 after the partition of India.
After Indian independence, the Assam Legislative Council was abolished in 1952 and the Assam Legislative Assembly became unicameral. The reconstituted assembly had 108 members with 31 seats reserved for Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Rao |first=V. Venkata |date=1987 |title=Government and Politics in North East India |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/41855331 |journal=The Indian Journal of Political Science |volume=48 |issue=4 |pages=458–486 |issn=0019-5510}}</ref>
In the years that followed, Assam was truncated to several smaller states. And over the years, with the changing geographical boundaries and increase in population, the strength of members has changed from 108 in 1952–57 to 114 in 1967-72 (the third Assembly) and by 1972-78 (the fifth Assembly) it had a strength of 126 members.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://assambidhansabha.org/about|title=Assam Legislative Assembly - History|website=assambidhansabha.org|access-date=1 April 2022}}</ref>
== List of Assemblies == The elections for the Assam Assembly are being held since 1952
{| class="wikitable sortable" !Year !Legislative Assembly Election ! colspan=2| Party ! Chief Minister ! Seat split |- |1950 |rowspan=2|First Assembly |{{Full party name with color|rowspan=2|Indian National Congress}} |Gopinath Bordoloi |rowspan=2| |- |1952 |Bishnuram Medhi |- |rowspan=2|1957 |rowspan=2|Second Assembly |{{Full party name with color|rowspan=2|Indian National Congress}} |Bishnuram Medhi |rowspan=2| |- |Bimala Prasad Chaliha |- |1962 |Third Assembly |{{Full party name with color|Indian National Congress}} |Bimala Prasad Chaliha | |- |rowspan=2|1967 |rowspan=2|Fourth Assembly |{{Full party name with color|rowspan=2|Indian National Congress}} |Bimala Prasad Chaliha |rowspan=2| |- |Mahendra Mohan Choudhry |- |1972 |Fifth Assembly |{{Full party name with color|Indian National Congress}} |Sarat Chandra Sinha | |- |rowspan=2|1978 |rowspan=6|Sixth Assembly |{{Full party name with color|rowspan=2|Janata Party}} |Golap Borbora | |- |Jogendra Nath Hazarika | |- |1979 | |President's Rule |N/A |N/A |- |1980 |{{Full party name with color|Indian National Congress}} |Anwara Taimur | |- |1981 | |President's Rule |N/A |N/A |- |rowspan=2|1982 |{{Full party name with color|Indian National Congress}} |Kesab Chandra Gogoi | |- |''Assembly Dissolved'' | |President's Rule |N/A |N/A |- |1983 |Seventh Assembly |{{Full party name with color|Indian National Congress}} |Hiteswar Saikia | |- |1985 |Eight Assembly |{{Full party name with color|Asom Gana Parishad}} |Prafulla Kumar Mahanta | |- |rowspan=2|1991 |rowspan=2|Ninth Assembly |{{Full party name with color|rowspan=2|Indian National Congress}} |Hiteswar Saikia |rowspan=2| |- |Bhumidhar Barman |- |1996 |Tenth Assembly |{{Full party name with color|Asom Gana Parishad}} |Prafulla Kumar Mahanta | |- |2001 |Eleventh Assembly |{{Full party name with color|rowspan=3|Indian National Congress}} | rowspan="3" |Tarun Gogoi |Total: 126. INC: 71, AGP: 20, BJP: 8, NCP: 3, ASDC: 2, SP: 1, SP: 1, AITC: 1, IND: 19 |- |2006 |Twelth Assembly |Total: 125. INC: 53, AGP: 24, AIUDF: 10, BJP: 10, CPI(M): 2, CPI: 1, IND: 21 |- |2011 |Thirteenth Assembly |Total: 126. INC: 78, AIUDF: 18, BPF: 12, AGP: 10, BJP: 5, AITC: 1, IND: 2 |- |2016 |Fourteenth Assembly |{{Full party name with color|rowspan=4|Bharatiya Janata Party}} |Sarbananda Sonowal |Total: 126. BJP: 60, INC: 26, AGP: 14, AIUDF: 13, BPF: 12, IND: 1 |- |2021 |Fifteenth Assembly | rowspan="2" |Himanta Biswa Sarma | Total: 126. BJP: 60, INC: 29, AIUDF: 16, AGP: 9, UPPL: 6,BPF: 4, CPI(M): 1, IND: 1 |- |2026 |Sixteenth Assembly | Total: 126. BJP: 82, INC: 19, AGP: 10, BPF: 10, RD: 2, AIUDF: 2, AITC: 1 |- |}
{{notelist}}
== Office bearers== {{transcluded section|source=16th Assam Assembly}} {{trim|{{#Section-h:16th Assam Assembly|Office bearers}}}}
== Members of the Legislative Assembly == {{transcluded section|source=16th Assam Assembly}} {{trim|{{#Section-h:16th Assam Assembly|Members of the Legislative Assembly}}}}
== Leaders of Opposition == Official Opposition is a term used to designate the political party which has secured the second largest number of seats in the assembly. In order to get formal recognition, the party must have at least one-sixth of the total number of Members of the House as required under the aforementioned provisions.<ref>{{cite news|title=Assam Assembly may not have a Leader of Opposition|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/congress-loses-leader-of-opposition-post-in-assam-assembly-7134339/}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Congress loses Leader of Opposition post in Assam Assembly|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/congress-loses-leader-of-opposition-post-in-assam-assembly-7134339/|publisher=Indian Express|date=6 January 2021|quote= “The present strength of the Indian National Congress Legislature Party, 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 as required under the aforementioned provisions and therefore, the Hon’ble Speaker, Assam Legislative Assembly, has been pleased to withdraw the recognition of Shri Debabrata Saikia, MLA, as Leader of the Opposition, Assam Legislative Assembly, w.e.f. 1st January, 2021,” a Assam Gazette notification}}</ref> However, On 16 May 2026, the Assam Legislative Assembly amended its rules to lower the eligibility threshold for the Leader of the Opposition from one-sixth to one-tenth of the total membership. As a result, a party now requires at least 13 MLAs instead of 21 to qualify, enabling the Indian National Congress, despite its reduced strength, to appoint a Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly.
=== Leaders of Opposition === {| class="wikitable" !# !Assembly !Name !Portrait !Took office !Left office !Constituency !Party !Chief Minister |- |1 | |Gopinath Bordoloi |70x70px | | |Kamrup Sadar South |Indian National Congress |Sir Syed Muhammed Saadulah |- |2 | |Gaurishankar Bhattacharyya | |1972 |1978 |Borbhag |Peoples Democratic Party of Assam |Sarat Chandra Sinha |- | rowspan="4" |? | rowspan="4" | | rowspan="4" |? | rowspan="4" |? |1978 |1979 |? |Indian National Congress |Golap Borbora |- |1979 |1979 |? |Indian National Congress |Jogendra Nath Hazarika |- |1980 |1981 |? |Janata Party |Anwara Taimur |- |1981 |1983 |? |Janata Party |Kesab Chandra Gogoi |- |? | |? |? |1983 |1985 |? |? |Hiteswar Saikia |- |3 | |Golok Rajbanshi | |1985 |1990 |Rangapara |Indian National Congress |Prafulla Kumar Mahanta |- |4 | |Prafulla Kumar Mahanta |70px |1991 |1996 |Barhampur |Asom Gana Parishad |Hiteswar Saikia |- |? | |? | |1996 |2001 |? |Indian National Congress |Prafulla Kumar Mahanta |- | rowspan="2" |4 |11th Assam Assembly | rowspan="2" |Brindaban Goswami | rowspan="2" |70px|thumb|B.Goswami in Left Side|left |2001 |2006 | rowspan="2" |Tezpur | rowspan="4" |Asom Gana Parishad | rowspan="5" |Tarun Gogoi |- | rowspan="3" |12th Assam Assembly |2006 |2006 |- |5 |Chandra Mohan Patowary |81x81px |2006 |2010 |Dharmapur |- |(3) |Prafulla Kumar Mahanta |70px |2010 |2011 |Barhampur |- | |13th Assam Assembly |? |? |2011 |2016 |? |? |- | rowspan="2" |6 |14th Assam Assembly | rowspan="2" |Debabrata Saikia | rowspan="2" |70px |6-June-2016<ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-06-06 |title=Debabrata Saikia appointed Leader of Opposition in Assam Assembly |url=https://www.financialexpress.com/india-news/debabrata-saikia-appointed-leader-of-opposition-in-assam-assembly/275363/ |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=Financialexpress |language=en}}</ref> |5-Jan-2021<ref>{{Cite news |date=2021-01-05 |title=Congress MLA loses status of leader of opposition in Assam assembly |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/congress-mla-loses-status-of-leader-of-opposition-in-assam-assembly/story-ojs1wqFImHjDwgDS4gU3mJ.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240523222950/https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/congress-mla-loses-status-of-leader-of-opposition-in-assam-assembly/story-ojs1wqFImHjDwgDS4gU3mJ.html |archive-date=2024-05-23 |access-date=2025-01-03 |work=Hindustan Times |language=en-us}}</ref> |rowspan="2" |Nazira |rowspan="2" |Indian National Congress |Sarbananda Sonowal |- |15th Assam Assembly |21-May-2021<ref>{{Cite news |agency=ANI |title=Congress elects Debabrata Saikia as leader of opposition in Assam Assembly |url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/politics/congress-elects-debabrata-saikia-as-leader-of-opposition-in-assam-assembly-121052100077_1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210603031743/https://www.business-standard.com/article/politics/congress-elects-debabrata-saikia-as-leader-of-opposition-in-assam-assembly-121052100077_1.html |archive-date=2021-06-03 |access-date=2025-01-03 |language=en}}</ref> |07-May-2026 |Himanta Biswa Sarma |- | |16th Assam Assembly |TBD |N/A |N/A |N/A |N/A |Indian National Congress |Himanta Biswa Sarma |}
=== Deputy Leader of Opposition === {| class="wikitable" !# !Assembly !Name !Portrait !Term starts !Constituency !Party !Chief Minister |- |1 | |Renuka Devi Barkataki |102x102px |1972-1978 | |Peoples Democratic Party of Assam |Sarat Chandra Sinha |- | rowspan="2" |2 |14th Assam Assembly | rowspan="2" |Rakibul Hussain | rowspan="2" |70x70px |2016-2021 | rowspan="2" |Samaguri | rowspan="3" |Indian National Congress |Sarbananda Sonowal |- | rowspan="2" |15th Assam Assembly |2021-2024 | rowspan="2" |Himanta Biswa Sarma |- |3 |Vacant |Vacant |2024-2026 |N/A |- | |16th Assam Assembly |No official opposition |N/A |2026-2031 |N/A |N/A |Himanta Biswa Sarma |}
==See also== *List of constituencies of the Assam Legislative Assembly *Government of Assam
== Notes == {{notelist}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [https://www.loksabhaelections.in/assam Assam Lok Sabha Election 2019 Results Website] * [https://assambidhansabha.org Assam Legislative Assembly website]
{{Assam}} {{Legislatures of India}} {{Current Indian assemblies}} {{Authority control}}
Category:Assam Legislative Assembly Category:State lower houses in India Category:Politics of Assam Category:Government of Assam Category:1937 establishments in India Category:Unicameral legislatures of country subdivisions