Guwahati: Senior Congress MLA Wazed Ali Choudhury has been granted the status of the Leader of the Opposition by Assam Legislative Assembly Speaker Ranjeet Kumar Dass, even though the Congress party secured a record-low 19 seats in the recently held assembly election.
Official Confirmation of LoP Status
The Assam Legislative Assembly announced on Tuesday that Congress Legislature Party leader Wazed Ali Choudhury has been officially granted the status of the Leader of the Opposition. A social media post from the assembly stated, "Congress Legislature Party leader Wazed Ali Choudhury has been officially granted the status of the leader of the opposition in the Assam legislative assembly. The Honourable Speaker of the Assam Legislative Assembly, Shri Ranjeet Kumar Dass, conferred the status of leader of the opposition on Wajed Ali Choudhury."
Choudhury expressed his expectation to receive the chamber soon, with the allotment process for his office staff likely to begin on Wednesday. He told the media, "The assembly secretary informed me that I will get the cabinet status (status of a cabinet minister). I thank the speaker, as it was under his discretion to grant the leader of the opposition status."
Amendments to Rules for LoP Selection
Following recent amendments to the rules for selecting the Leader of the Opposition, 13 Congress MLAs were sufficient to qualify for the post. Before last year's amendment, the requirement was 21 MLAs. This change allowed the Congress party to claim the LoP position despite its reduced numbers.
Controversy Over Tanzil Hussain's Appointment
In an unexpected development, the Indian Youth Congress declared that the recent appointment letter of Congress MLA Tanzil Hussain as Assam Pradesh Youth Congress (APYC) vice-president is invalid. An order issued on May 31 by IYC general secretary in-charge of APYC, Mitendra Darshan Singh, had appointed Hussain as vice-president of the APYC.
Tanzil is the son of senior Congressman and Dhubri MP Rakibul Hussain, who is considered one of the most influential figures in the Assam Congress. Congress sources indicated that the development could be linked to differences within the state unit of the party, with one group supporting Tanzil's rise and another opposing it.
Internal Power Struggles
Sources revealed that during the recent assembly election, APYC president Zubair Anam Mazumder faced resistance from some senior Congress leaders. However, he secured support from the Youth Congress leadership in Delhi to obtain a ticket from the Algapur-Katlicherra seat in Barak Valley. Although he won, it highlighted an internal power struggle within the Youth Congress, even as the Congress party navigates one of its toughest phases in Assam.
While the previous appointment letter of Tanzil stated that the appointment had the approval of the "competent authority," a fresh order issued on Monday put the May 31 order on hold with immediate effect. The latest letter from Singh to Tanzil said, "In view of this strategic directive, the order of your appointment issued on May 31, 2026, is hereby kept on hold with immediate effect and the issuance letter is considered invalid until further instructions are issued from the Central Office."
