# Politics of Assam

The political structure of Assam in India is headed by the ceremonial post of the Governor. He is assisted by a council of ministers, headed by the Chief Minister, who are members of the Assam Assembly. In recent years the Governor has become more powerful, especially because the last two Governors have been ex-Army generals and the Army is entrusted with anti-insurgency operations against ULFA and other armed groups .

## History

The Assam legislative structure is unicameral and consists of the 126-member Assam Assembly. Members are elected for a period of 5 years. The Assam Assembly is presided over by the Speaker, who is generally a member of the ruling party.

### State Government

| Year | Assembly | Total seats | Government | Seats won | Chief Minister | Opposition |
| 1946-52 | Provincial Assembly | 108 | Indian National Congress | 50 | Gopinath Bordoloi/Bishnu Ram Medhi | Muslim |
| 1952-57 | 1st Assembly | 108 | Indian National Congress | 76 | Bishnu Ram Medhi | Socialist Party |
| 1957-62 | 2nd Assembly | 108 | Indian National Congress | 71 | Bishnu Ram Medhi/Bimala Prasad Chaliha | Praja Socialist Party |
| 1962-67 | 3rd Assembly | 105 | Indian National Congress | 79 | Bimala Prasad Chaliha | All Party Hill Leaders Conference |
| 1967-72 | 4th Assembly | 126 | Indian National Congress | 73 | Bimala Prasad Chaliha/Mohendra Mohan Choudhury | All Party Hill Leaders Congress |
| 1972-78 | 5th Assembly | 114 | Indian National Congress | 95 | Sarat Chandra Sinha | Samyukta Socialist Party |
| 1978-79 | 6th Assembly | 126 | Janata Party/Communist Party of India/Plains Tribals Council of Assam | 53/11/4 | Golap Borbora/Jogendra Nath Hazarika | Indian National Congress |
| 1979-80 | – | – | Government of India | – | President Rule | |
| 1980-81 | 6th Assembly | 126 | Indian National Congress/Communist Party of India/Independents | 51/11/4 | Anowara Taimur | Janata Party |
| 1981-82 | – | – | Government of India | – | President Rule | |
| 1982 | 6th Assembly | 126 | Indian National Congress/Communist Party of India/Independents | 51/11/4 | Kesab Chandra Gogoi | Janata Party |
| 1982-83 | – | – | Government of India | – | President Rule | |
| 1983-85 | 7th Assembly | 126 | Indian National Congress | 91 | Hiteswar Saikia | Plains Tribals Council of Assam |
| 1985-90 | 8th Assembly | 126 | Asom Gana Parishad | 69 | Prafulla Kumar Mahanta | Indian National Congress |
| 1990-91 | – | – | Government of India | – | President Rule | |
| 1991-96 | 9th Assembly | 126 | Indian National Congress | 66 | Hiteswar Saikia/Bhumidhar Barman | Asom Gana Parishad |
| 1996-2001 | 10th Assembly | 126 | Asom Gana Parishad/Communist Party of India/United Minorities Front | 59/2/2 | Prafulla Kumar Mahanta | Indian National Congress |
| 2001-06 | 11th Assembly | 126 | Indian National Congress | 71 | Tarun Gogoi | Asom Gana Parishad |
| 2006-11 | 12th Assembly | 126 | Indian National Congress/Bodoland People's Front | 53/10 | Tarun Gogoi | Asom Gana Parishad |
| 2011-16 | 13th Assembly | 126 | Indian National Congress/Bodoland People's Front | 78/11 | Tarun Gogoi | All India United Democratic Front |
| 2016-21 | 14th Assembly | 126 | Bharatiya Janata Party / Asom Gana Parishad / Bodoland People's Front | 61/14/12 | Sarbananda Sonowal | Indian National Congress |

### National Legislature

Assam sends 14 Member of Parliament(s) to the Lok Sabha.
| Year | Lok Sabha | Total seats | Largest party | Seats won |
| 1951 | First Lok Sabha | 12 | Indian National Congress | 11 |
| 1957 | Second Lok Sabha | 12 | Indian National Congress | 10 |
| 1962 | Third Lok Sabha | 12 | Indian National Congress | 9 |
| 1967 | Fourth Lok Sabha | 14 | Indian National Congress | 10 |
| 1971 | Fifth Lok Sabha | 14 | Indian National Congress | 13 |
| 1977 | Sixth Lok Sabha | 14 | Indian National Congress | 10 |
| 1980 | Seventh Lok Sabha | 8 | Indian National Congress | 8 |
| 1985 | Eighth Lok Sabha | 15 | Asom Gana Parishad | 7 |
| 1989 | Ninth Lok Sabha | – | No elections | – |
| 1991 | Tenth Lok Sabha | 14 | Indian National Congress | 8 |
| 1996 | Eleventh Lok Sabha | 14 | Indian National Congress | 5 |
| 1998 | Twelfth Lok Sabha | 14 | Indian National Congress | 11 |
| 1999 | Thirteenth Lok Sabha | 14 | Indian National Congress | 10 |
| 2004 | Fourteenth Lok Sabha | 14 | Indian National Congress | 7 |
| 2009 | Fifteenth Lok Sabha | 14 | Indian National Congress | 7 |
| 2014 | Sixteenth Lok Sabha | 14 | Bharatiya Janata Party | 7 |
* Karimganj 1 – All India United Democratic Front
* Silchar 2 – Indian National Congress
* Autonomous District 3 – Indian National Congress
* Dhubri 4 – All India United Democratic Front
* Kokrajhar 5 – Independent
* Barpeta 6 – All India United Democratic Front
* Gauhati 7 – Bharatiya Janata Party
* Mangaldoi 8 – Bharatiya Janata Party
* Tezpur 9 – Bharatiya Janata Party
* Nowgaon 10 – Bharatiya Janata Party
* Kaliabor 11 – Indian National Congress
* Jorhat 12 – Bharatiya Janata Party
* Dibrugarh 13 – Bharatiya Janata Party
* Lakhimpur 14 – Bharatiya Janata Party