Guwahati, May 21: The 16th Assam Legislative Assembly began its first session on Thursday, with 47 first-time MLAs taking the oath at the Assembly House in Dispur, signalling the arrival of a younger and more diverse generation of legislators in the state’s political landscape.
The opening day of the session saw several newly elected faces entering the Assembly for the first time, many of them emerging from student politics, grassroots movements and community-based leadership.
Among them was first-time BJP MLA from West Goalpara, Pabitra Rabha, who described the moment as the fulfilment of a long-cherished dream.
“It was a dream for many years to come to the Assembly and represent our culture. We belong to a small community, and the people of Goalpara West have sent me here with hope and trust. We will work hard for the development of the constituency,” Rabha said after taking the oath.
Highlighting the political significance of the constituency after delimitation, he said representatives from the Bhumiputra and Rabha communities had been elected from the area for the first time.
“Whatever development work the government has carried out elsewhere, we will ensure the same for Goalpara West,” he added.
First-time Congress MLA from Algapur, Zubair Anam Mazumder, compared his debut in the Assembly to “the first day of school”, calling it a completely new experience.
“I was involved in organisational politics earlier, but this is my first experience in electoral politics. The atmosphere is new, but the experience was very good,” he said.
Mazumder said his political journey began through student activism and youth politics under the NSUI and Youth Congress.
“I got the opportunity to contest through the Youth Congress quota and fought against three sitting MLAs. The support and affection from the people helped me win. Whatever I learned in politics came through student politics,” he said.
Calling for greater youth participation in governance, Mazumder said that young people should actively engage in politics and bring about positive change.
“If politics is considered dirty, then the youth should come forward and clean it,” he remarked.
On the issue of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), the Congress MLA said India’s diversity must be respected.
“Different communities have different traditions and cultures. India is diverse, and every culture and tradition should be protected and respected,” he said.
The first session of the new Assembly is expected to set the tone for the government’s legislative agenda while also showcasing the changing generational profile of Assam politics.
