Kokrajhar to host first sitting of Assam Assembly on Monday

State Assembly Speaker Biswajit Daimary on Sunday emphasized that holding the first-ever sitting of the house outside Guwahati is an effort to bring parliamentary democracy closer to the people. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stated that the historic decision to host Assam's first-ever Assembly session outside the state capital, in Kokrajhar, has been strongly supported by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, whom he described as the architects of peace in the region.

Speaking to the media, the Chief Minister noted that after independence, the Assam Assembly session would be held in Kokrajhar, a place that was once a hub of Bodoland agitation for many years. The session would commence with Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya's customary speech, marking the first day of the Budget session in Kokrajhar. He added that the rest of the Budget session would take place at the permanent Assembly building in Dispur. The Budget session is scheduled to continue until March 25, with Finance Minister Ajanta Neog set to present the budget for the financial year 2025-26 on March 10. A key focus of this initial sitting will be on strengthening the administration of Sixth Schedule areas, according to the Chief Minister.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a post on X about the special sitting in Kokrajhar, mentioned that both the NDA governments at the Centre and in Assam have been diligently working to empower the Bodo community and fulfill their aspirations. He assured that these efforts will continue with even greater determination. The Prime Minister also reminisced about his visit to Kokrajhar, where he experienced the vibrant Bodo tradition and culture.

Home Minister Amit Shah, also via social media, conveyed his best wishes to the people of Bodoland. He highlighted that this move is a significant step towards realizing PM Narendra Modi’s vision to accelerate development for Bodo people while preserving their cultural heritage, which is integral to our civilizational ethos.

State Assembly Speaker Daimary mentioned that after resolving the Bodoland issues, the Bodo Territorial Council (BTC) was established and now people in tribal areas see minimal differences between Guwahati and Kokrajhar. He also urged all 126 MLAs to actively participate in discussions during this historic Assembly session in Kokrajhar, located 226 km west of Guwahati. The Assembly will convene in the BTC hall.

The Assam Legislative Assembly first convened on April 7, 1937, in Shillong, which was then the capital of the composite State of Assam. However, in 1972, the Assam government decided to relocate the capital to Dispur, Guwahati. Consequently, the first sitting of the Budget Session of the Assam Legislative Assembly was held at the temporary capital in Dispur on March 16, 1973.