Guwahati, 21 May (HS): Senior BJP legislator and former minister Ranjit Kumar Das was on Thursday unanimously elected as the Speaker of the 16th Assam Legislative Assembly, marking his second term in the constitutional post.

The first session of the newly constituted Assembly commenced on Thursday and will continue till May 26. Senior MLA Chandra Mohan Patowary presided over the House as Protem Speaker and conducted the initial proceedings of the session, which began with the singing of Vande Mataram.

During the day’s proceedings, all 126 newly elected MLAs took oath as members of the Assembly. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma was the first to take oath, followed by four cabinet ministers and legislators from the BJP, Congress, Trinamool Congress and other parties. The oath was administered by Protem Speaker Patowary.

Following the completion of the oath-taking ceremony, Patowary formally announced the name of the full-time Speaker of the House. Ranjit Kumar Das was elected unopposed to the post and subsequently took charge of the Assembly proceedings after the Protem Speaker vacated the chair.

Das had earlier served as Speaker during the tenure of the previous BJP-led government headed by former Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal. He had held the office from June 2, 2016 till December 25, 2020.

Meanwhile, Congress MLA and former minister Wajed Ali Choudhury was chosen as the Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly. The decision was taken by the Congress Legislature Party following approval from the party high command.----------

Hindusthan Samachar / Sriprakash