# 1978 Assam Legislative Assembly election

The 1978 Assam Legislative Assembly election was held to elect members for 126 assembly seats to constitute the seventh Assam Legislative Assembly on February 25 1978. The Janata Party formed the first non-Congress government led by Golap Borbora with 53 seats on March 12, 1978. He resigned as chief minister on September 4, 1979 after losing the support of a majority of MLAs. Jogendra Nath Hazarika was sworn in as chief minister on 9 November 1978. But he existed in CM’s chair for only 94 days, as central government imposed President's rule in Assam.

## Background

The Navnirman Andolan, which erupted in December 1973 started on the issue of hike in fees for an engineering college in Gujarat, Jayaprakash Narayan's movement against corruption, a three week long Bihar rail strike led by socialist leader George Fernandes, had destabilized the political atmosphere of India. The sterilization program, which was tried to be implemented forcefully by Sanjay Gandhi, son of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi also created a lot of public outrage .

## Results

Vote % in seats contested :
| 1 | | Communist Party of India | National | 35 | 5 | 4.09 | 14.39 |
| 2 | | Communist Party of India (Marxist) | National | 27 | 11 | 5.62 | 25.87 |
| 3 | | Indian National Congress | National | 126 | 26 | 23.62 | 23.62 |
| 4 | | Indian National Congress | National | 115 | 8 | 8.78 | 9.84 |
| 5 | | Janata Party | National | 117 | 53 | 27.55 | 29.95 |
| 6 | | All India Forward Bloc | State | 3 | 0 | 0.09 | 4.28 |
| 7 | | Plain Tribals Council of Assam | State | 9 | 4 | 2.60 | 32.54 |
| 8 | | Revolutionary Socialist Party | State | 6 | 0 | 0.44 | 8.85 |
| 9 | | All India Gorkha League | Registered | 1 | 0 | 0.04 | 6.08 |
| 10 | | Revolutionary Communist Party of India | Registered | 10 | 4 | 1.40 | 17.68 |
| 11 | | Socialist Unity Centre of India | Registered | 4 | 0 | 0.07 | 2.29 |
| 12 | | Independent politician | | | 15 | 25.67 | 26.50 |
| Total | 126 | | |
| Source: ECI ||||||||

## Elected members

| Constituency | Reserved for (SC/ST/None) | Member | Party |
| Ratabari | SC | Lilamoy Das | Janata Party |
| Patharkandi | None | Fakrul Islam | Independent |
| Karimganj North | None | Nishith Ranjan Das | Communist Party of India |
| Karimganj South | None | Abdul Muqtadir Choudhury | Indian National Congress |
| Badarpur | None | Ramendra De | Communist Party of India |
| Hailakandi | None | Dipak Bhattacharjee | Communist Party of India |
| Katlicherra | None | Gouri Sankar Roy | Indian National Congress |
| Algapur | None | Nepal Chandra Das | Indian National Congress |
| Silchar | None | Noorul Kuda | Communist Party of India |
| Sonai | None | Altaf Hossain Mazumdar | Janata Party |
| Dholai | SC | Sisir Ranjan Das | Indian National Congress |
| Udharbond | None | Jagannath Singh | Janata Party |
| Lakhipur | None | Kazi Kutub Uddin Ahmed | Independent |
| Barkhola | None | A.f.golam Osmani | Janata Party |
| Katigora | None | Abdul Kiyum Choudhury | Indian National Congress |
| Haflong | ST | Sona Ram Thaosen | Janata Party |
| Bokajan | ST | Bilton G.momin | Janata Party |
| Howraghat | ST | Barelong Terang | Janata Party |
| Diphu | ST | Gandhi Ram Timung | Janata Party |
| Baithalangso | ST | Dhani Ram Rongpi | Indian National Congress |
| Mankachar | None | Zahirul Islam | Janata Party |
| Salmara South | None | Dewan Joynal Abedin | Independent |
| Dhubri | None | Mohammad Umaruddin | Indian National Congress |
| Gauripur | None | Mohammad Azad Ali | Janata Party |
| Golakganj | None | Aluddin Sarkar | Communist Party of India |
| Bilasipara West | None | Gaisuddin Ahmed | Independent |
| Bilasipara East | None | Surat Chanddra Sinha | Indian National Congress |
| Gossaigaon | None | Mathias Tudu | Indian National Congress |
| Kokrajhar West | ST | Ranendra Narayan Basumatari | Indian National Congress |
| Kokrajhar East | ST | Samar Brahma Choudhury | Plain Tribals Council of Assam |
| Sidli | ST | Panchanan Brahma | Plain Tribals Council of Assam |
| Bongaigaon | None | Mathura Mohan Sinha | Janata Party |
| Bijni | None | Padmalochan Boro | Independent |
| Abhayapuri North | None | Pani Medhi | Independent |
| Abhayapuri South | SC | Rabindra Nath Choudhury | Janata Party |
| Dudhnai | ST | Jagat Chandra Patgiri | Janata Party |
| Goalpara East | None | Birendra Nath Choudhury | Communist Party of India |
| Goalpara West | None | Nazmul Haque | Independent |
| Jaleswar | None | Afzalur Rahman | Janata Party |
| Sorbhog | None | Hemen Das | Communist Party of India |
| Bhabanipur | None | Tarini Charan Das | Janata Party |
| Patacharkuchi | None | Bhubaneswar Barman | Janata Party |
| Barpeta | None | A. Latif | Independent |
| Jania | None | Abdus Sobhan | Indian National Congress |
| Baghbar | None | Ibrahim Ali | Indian National Congress |
| Sarukhetri | None | Sirajul Haque | Independent |
| Chenga | None | Danes Ali Ahmed | Indian National Congress |
| Boko | SC | Umesh Chandra Das | Janata Party |
| Chaygaon | None | A. N. Akram Hussain | Indian National Congress |
| Palasbari | None | Harendra Goswami | Janata Party |
| Jalukbari | None | Lakhyadhar Choudhury | Janata Party |
| Dispur | None | Tarini Mohan Barua | Janata Party |
| Gauhati East | None | Ajoy Kumar Dutta | Janata Party |
| Gauhati West | None | Kiran Chandra Bezbarua | Janata Party |
| Hajo | None | Rabindra Nath Malakar | Janata Party |
| Kamalpur | None | Daibasakti Deka | Janata Party |
| Rangiya | None | Purna Boro | Communist Party of India |
| Tamulpur | None | Padam Bahadur Chouhan | Janata Party |
| Nalbari | None | Narendra Nath Dutta | Communist Party of India |
| Barkhetry | None | Seikh Chand Mahammad | Janata Party |
| Dharmapur | None | Ramani Barman | Janata Party |
| Barama | ST | Baikuntha Nath Das | Indian National Congress |
| Chapaguri | ST | Manik Chandra Das | Independent |
| Panery | None | Ramesh Chandra Saharia | Independent |
| Kalaigaon | None | Nagen Sarma | Janata Party |
| Sipajhar | None | Madhab Rajbanshi | Janata Party |
| Mangaldoi | SC | Anil Das | Janata Party |
| Dalgaon | None | Syeda Anwara Taimur | Indian National Congress |
| Udalguri | ST | Binoy Kumar Basumatary | Plain Tribals Council of Assam |
| Majbat | None | Silvius Condpan | Janata Party |
| Dhekiajuli | None | Pratap Kalita | Indian National Congress |
| Barchalla | None | Kamal Chandra Basumatari | Plain Tribals Council of Assam |
| Tezpur | None | Jiban Bora | Janata Party |
| Rangapara | None | Golok Rajbanshi | Indian National Congress |
| Sootea | None | Golok Kakati | Janata Party |
| Biswanath | None | Kosheswar Bora | Janata Party |
| Behali | None | Bishnulal Upadhaya | Indian National Congress |
| Gohpur | None | Ram Chandra Sarmah | Janata Party |
| Jagiroad | SC | Prasad Chandra Doloi | Indian National Congress |
| Marigaon | None | Kaliram Dekta Raja | Indian National Congress |
| Laharighat | None | Abul Kashem | Indian National Congress |
| Raha | SC | Baliram Das | Janata Party |
| Dhing | None | Md. Samsul Huda | Revolutionary Communist Party of India |
| Batadroba | None | Baneswar Saikia | Revolutionary Communist Party of India |
| Rupohihat | None | Mohammad Idris | Indian National Congress |
| Nowgong | None | Mukut Sarma | Indian National Congress |
| Barhampur | None | Lakeshwar Gohain | Janata Party |
| Samaguri | None | Bhabendra Kumar Saikia | Janata Party |
| Kaliabor | None | Atil Chandra Goswami | Independent |
| Jamunamukh | None | Mujamil Ali Choudhury | Janata Party |
| Hojai | None | Santi Ranjan Das Gupta | Janata Party |
| Lumding | None | Biresh Misra | Communist Party of India |
| Bokakhat | None | Chatra Gopal Karmakar | Indian National Congress |
| Sarupathar | None | Aklius Tirkey | Indian National Congress |
| Golaghat | None | Soneswar Bora | Janata Party |
| Khumtai | None | Nogen Borua | Janata Party |
| Dergaon | SC | Ramesh Das | Janata Party |
| Jorhat | None | Dulal Chandra Baruah | Janata Party |
| Majuli | ST | Chakbhal Kagyang | Janata Party |
| Titabar | None | Giridhar Thengal | Communist Party of India |
| Mariani | None | Gajen Tanti | Indian National Congress |
| Teok | None | Devananda Boara | Janata Party |
| Amguri | None | Khagen Borbarua | Revolutionary Communist Party of India |
| Nazira | None | Hiteswar Saikia | Indian National Congress |
| Mahmara | None | Budha Barua | Revolutionary Communist Party of India |
| Sonari | None | Satya Tati | Indian National Congress |
| Thowra | None | Jogen Gogoi | Communist Party of India |
| Sibsagar | None | Promode Gogoi | Communist Party of India |
| Bihpuria | None | Premadhar Bora | Independent |
| Naoboicha | None | Afazuddin Ahmed | Independent |
| Lakhimpur | None | Sulo Bora | Communist Party of India |
| Dhakuakhana | ST | Lakhya Nath Doley | Indian National Congress |
| Dhemaji | ST | Purna Chandra Bora | Independent |
| Jonai | ST | Romesh Mohan Kouli | Janata Party |
| Moran | None | Joy Chandra Nagbanshi | Indian National Congress |
| Dibrugarh | None | Keshab Chandra Gogoi | Janata Party |
| Lahowal | None | Dipak Moormoo | Indian National Congress |
| Duliajan | None | Jogen Hazarika | Janata Party |
| Tingkhong | None | Bhadreswar Gogoi | Janata Party |
| Naharkatia | None | Sasha Kamal Handique | Communist Party of India |
| Chabua | None | Jnan Gogoi | Janata Party |
| Tinsukia | None | Golap Borborah | Janata Party |
| Digboi | None | Rameswar Dhanowar | Indian National Congress |
| Margherita | None | Kul Bahadur Chetri | Janata Party |
| Doom Dooma | None | Dileswar Tanti | Indian National Congress |
| Sadiya | None | Bipin Hazarika | Communist Party of India |