Guwahati, May 22: Four-time BJP legislator Ranjeet Kumar Dass was unanimously elected Speaker of the 16th Assam Legislative Assembly on Thursday, becoming the only member in the state to hold the position for a second time.
Pro tem Speaker Chandra Mohan Patowary announced Dass’s election, noting that three nominations were filed in his favour and no other candidate contested. Dass had earlier served as Speaker in 2016 when the BJP formed its first government in Assam.
Representing the Bhowanipur-Sorbhog constituency, Dass has been elected to the Assembly in four consecutive terms since 2011. He was a cabinet minister during Himanta Biswa Sarma’s first term as Chief Minister from 2021 to 2026 and also headed the party’s Assam unit.
Chief Minister Sarma congratulated Dass, calling his election historic as he became the only legislator to assume the Speaker’s chair twice. Members from both the ruling coalition and opposition extended their support, with Congress MLA Jakir Hussain Sikdar urging Dass to ensure fairness and grant more time for opposition voices in the House.
Dass pledged neutrality in his role but acknowledged the challenge of detaching from his party’s ideology. He also raised concerns about the colonial origins of the term “Speaker,” suggesting alternatives such as “Sabhapati” or “Adhyaksh” to reflect Indian tradition. He appealed to legislators to work together to make the Assam Assembly a model institution for the country.
