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.

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.

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, 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.

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.

List of Assemblies The elections for the Assam Assembly are being held since 1952

YearLegislative Assembly Election Party Chief Minister Seat split 1950First AssemblyGopinath Bordoloi1952 Bishnuram Medhi1957Second Assembly Bimala Prasad Chaliha1962Third Assembly1967Fourth AssemblyMahendra Mohan Choudhry1972Fifth AssemblySarat Chandra Sinha1978Sixth Assembly Golap BorboraJogendra Nath Hazarika1979President's RuleN/AN/A1980Anwara Taimur1981President's RuleN/AN/A1982Keshab Chandra GogoiAssembly DissolvedPresident's RuleN/AN/A1983Seventh AssemblyHiteswar Saikia1985Eight AssemblyPrafulla Kumar Mahanta1991Ninth AssemblyHiteswar SaikiaBhumidhar Barman1996Tenth AssemblyPrafulla Kumar Mahanta2001Eleventh AssemblyTarun GogoiTotal: 126. INC: 71, AGP: 20, BJP: 8, NCP: 3, ASDC: 2, SP: 1, SP: 1, AITC: 1, IND: 192006Twelfth AssemblyTotal: 125. INC: 53, AGP: 24, AIUDF: 10, BJP: 10, CPI(M): 2, CPI: 1, IND: 212011Thirteenth AssemblyTotal: 126. INC: 78, AIUDF: 18, BPF: 12, AGP: 10, BJP: 5, AITC: 1, IND: 22016Fourteenth AssemblySarbananda SonowalTotal: 126. BJP: 60, INC: 26, AGP: 14, AIUDF: 13, BPF: 12, IND: 12021Fifteenth AssemblyHimanta Biswa Sarma Total: 126. BJP: 60, INC: 29, AIUDF: 16, AGP: 9, UPPL: 6,BPF: 4, CPI(M): 1, IND: 12026Sixteenth Assembly Total: 126. BJP: 82, INC: 19, AGP: 10, BPF: 10, RD: 2, AIUDF: 2, AITC: 1

Office bearers

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. 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 #Assembly NamePortraitTook officeLeft officeConstituency PartyChief Minister 11st Provincial AssemblyGopinath Bordoloi19371938Kamrup Sadar SouthIndian National CongressSir Syed Muhammed Saadulah21st Assam AssemblyHareswar Goswami 19521957PalasbariSocialist PartyBishnuram Medhi2nd Assam Assembly19571962RampurPraja Socialist PartyBimala Prasad Chaliha33rd Assam AssemblyLakshmi Prasad Goswami19621967LaharighatPraja Socialist Party44th Assam Assembly?19671972Mahendra Mohan Choudhry55th Assam AssemblyGaurishankar Bhattacharyya19721978BorbhagPeoples Democratic Party of AssamSarat Chandra Sinha???19781979?Indian National CongressGolap Borbora19791979?Indian National CongressJogendra Nath Hazarika19801981?Janata PartyAnwara Taimur19811983?Janata PartyKeshab Chandra Gogoi???19831985??Hiteswar Saikia3Golok Rajbanshi19851990RangaparaIndian National CongressPrafulla Kumar Mahanta4Prafulla Kumar Mahanta19911996BarhampurAsom Gana ParishadHiteswar Saikia??19962001?Indian National CongressPrafulla Kumar Mahanta411th Assam AssemblyBrindaban Goswami20012006TezpurAsom Gana ParishadTarun Gogoi12th Assam Assembly200620065Chandra Mohan Patowary20062010Dharmapur(3)Prafulla Kumar Mahanta20102011Barhampur13th Assam Assembly??20112014BarhampurAsom Gana Parishad614th Assam AssemblyDebabrata Saikia6-June-20165-Jan-2021NaziraIndian National CongressSarbananda Sonowal15th Assam Assembly21-May-202107-May-2026 Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma16th Assam AssemblyWazed Ali Choudhury27 May 2026Incumbent Birsing JaruaIndian National CongressDr. Himanta Biswa Sarma

Deputy Leader of Opposition #AssemblyNamePortraitTermConstituency PartyChief Minister 11st Assam AssemblyAjra Singh Khongphai1952-1957NongstoinIndependentBishnuram Medhi25th Assam AssemblyRenuka Devi Barkataki1972-1978HajoPeoples Democratic Party of AssamSarat Chandra Sinha314th Assam AssemblyRakibul Hussain2016-2021SamaguriIndian National CongressSarbananda Sonowal15th Assam Assembly2021-2024Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma4VacantVacant2024-2026N/A516th Assam AssemblyJoy Prakash Das2026-2031NaoboichaDr. Himanta Biswa Sarma

See also List of constituencies of the Assam Legislative Assembly Government of Assam

Notes

References

External links Assam Lok Sabha Election 2019 Results Website Assam Legislative Assembly website