Tarun Gogoi sidelined, Debabrata Saikia is CLP leader in Assam

In a significant decision, Congress president Sonia Gandhi approved the name of Debabrata Saikia, son of late chief minister Hiteswar Saikia, as leader of the Congress Legislature Party in Assam.

In what was also an indication of sidelining the former chief minister Tarun Gogoi, who dominated the state politics for past 15-years, the selection of two-time Nazira MLA Debabrata Saikia, the 51-year-old son of former chief minister Hiteswar Saikia, has been widely welcomed in the Assam Congress.

The decision of the AICC came close on the heels of ex-chief minister Tarun Gogoi’s willingness to lead the party.

A three-member AICC committee, comprising C.P. Joshi, Ambika Soni and Avinash Pandey, was here to meet the Congress legislators who in a resolution had authorised Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi to nominate the leader of the Congress party.

Almost all of the 26 party legislators had proposed a change in the state leadership and wanted to see a fresh face as the CLP leader.

It is significant that heavyweight ministers of the then Gogoi Cabinet like Rockybul Hussain and Ajanta Neog were also in the race of leadership.

Mr Saikia will also be given the status of Leader of Opposition in the Assam Assembly.

The PCC in a letter to the Assam Assembly secretariat has also informed the election of Mr Saikia as leader of Congress Legislature party on Monday night.