Type Unicameral | Principal Secretary Mrigendra Kumar Deka | |
 | ||
Speaker of the Assembly Hitendra Nath Goswami , BJP
Since 30 January 2017 Deputy Speaker Dilip Kumar Paul, BJP
Since 3 June 2016 Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, BJP
Since 2016 Leader of Opposition Debabrata Saikia, INC
Since 2016 | ||
The Assam Legislative Assembly (Assamese: অসম বিধানসভা) is the unicameral legislature of the Indian state of Assam. It is housed in Dispur, the capital of Assam, geographically situated in present Western Assam region. The Legislative Assembly comprises 126 Members of Legislative Assembly, directly elected from single-seat constituencies. Its term is five years, unless sooner dissolved.
Contents
History
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 in 1947, the Assam Legislative Council was abolished and the Assam Legislative Assembly became unicameral.
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.
Speakers of the Legislative Assembly
The following is a list of the speakers of the Assam Legislative Assembly:
During Assam Movement
Many rounds of direct talks with government failed. The 1983 general election of state legislative assembly and by-election to 12 parliamentary constituencies were boycotted. The agitation turned violent. Tens of peoples were brutally killed by police firings. The number of people killed by the government forces touched several hundreds. One of the incident had a very lasting impact on people's mind was the Nellie Massacre in which thousands of people died.