Congress criticises govt’s decision; writes to Governor to restore Leader of Opposition status

Jan. 8: The Congress party severely contested Assam assembly speaker’s “shocking and unfortunate” decision to withdraw the leader of Opposition status accorded to Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Debabrata Saikia from January 1. On Thursday, in a letter written to Assam Governor by MP Abdul Khaleque and All India Congress Committee (AICC) secretary Bhupen Borah, it was urged to restore Leader of Opposition status for its Legislature Party Leader Debabrata Saikia.

Meanwhile, CLP secretary Durga Bhumij, in a letter to the speaker Hitendra Nath Goswami cited the examples of Chhattisgarh (BJP with only 14 out of 90 seats), West Bengal (INC with 23 out 294 seats), and Delhi (BJP with only 3 out of 70 seats) Opposition leaders are being bestowed with the status despite having far less seats than so-called 1/6^th rule of quorum.

Following the recent exit of Golaghat MLA Ajanta Neog and Lakhipur MLA Rajdeep Goala to the BJP, the Congress has been reduced to considerable less strength in the Assam Assembly. With only 20 seats in their bag at present (one less than the required number), Assam Government in a Gazette Notification on 1 January, 2021 stated that Assam State Congress has lost its main Opposition party status in the Assembly.

The Gazette Notification further stated, “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 Honble 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.”

The Congress had won 26 Assembly seats in the Assam Legislative Assembly Election of 2016. Following the resignation of Baithalangso MLA Dr Mansing Rongpi from the party, as well as an MLA, later that year, the party’s strength was reduced to 25. Congress leader Abdul Khaleque of Jania resigned as an MLA after getting elected to the Lok Sabha in the 2019 general elections. AIUDF’s Rafikul Islam won the Jania seat in the last bye-elections. With this, the Congress was reduced to 24 MLAs in the Assam Assembly. Following the demise of Pranab Gogoi (Sivasagar) and Tarun Gogoi (Titabor), the Congress was left with only 22 MLA’s. The final nail was struck in the coffin with the defection of Golaghat MLA Ajanta Neog and Lakhipur MLA Rajdeep Goala to the BJP. With this, the party’s strength was reduced to only 20 MLAs – one less than the required number.