GUWAHATI, May 21: Former Cabinet Minister and four-time BJP MLA Ranjeet Kumar Dass was on Thursday unanimously elected as the Speaker of the 16th Assam Legislative Assembly.
Notably, Dass is the first person to hold the Assam Legislative Assembly Speaker’s post for a second term.
“I would like to congratulate Shri Ranjeet Kumar Dass on being elected unanimously as the Speaker of the 16th Assam Legislative Assembly. The House will benefit greatly from his insights and experience,” Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said in his congratulatory message.
“Rising from a humble background, he has travelled a long way in an illustrious career spanning decades, from an IIS officer to a journalist to public service, he has always made Assam proud,” Sarma said.
“Associated with the RSS since his early days and then in the BJP, he has imbibed the Sewa Bhav since his childhood. He also adds another glorious chapter to his life as he becomes the first person to be elected twice as Speaker of the august House.,” the chief minister said.
“As I wish him good luck for his tenure, I am confident that he will conduct the house seamlessly with his vast experience and uphold the rich values and legacy of the Vidhan Sabha. As leader of the BJP Legislature Party, I assure our full cooperation in ensuring the house functions with 100 percent of its productivity level in each session,” he said.
The NDA had filed the nomination papers of BJP MLA Ranjeet Kumar Dass as the Speaker of the Assembly.
Ministers Atul Bora and Charan Boro, MLA Pijush Hazarika and other MLAs of the BJP, AGP and the BPF had earlier submitted the nomination papers of MLA Dass, who was a Cabinet minister in the last Himanta Biswa Sarma-led government in the state.
Dass was elected to the Assembly from Bhowanipur-Sorbhog LAC in recently-concluded Assam Assembly election.
