Guwahati, May 30: Two-time Nazira MLA Debabrata Saikia has been appointed leader in Assam, a move suggesting the AICC’s readiness to groom new leaders following the party’s debacle in the Assembly elections.

The AICC’s decision was formally conveyed to Saikia today around 6.15pm by Rajya Sabha MP and senior Assam PCC vice-president Ripun Bora.

The office of the AICC general secretary in-charge of Assam, C.P. Joshi, had,however, informed Saikia about his name being cleared by the Congress high command around 2pm, party insiders said.

Saikia’s name was floated in the CLP meeting, held at a hotel near the airport here, on Friday in the presence of AICC leaders Ambika Soni, Avinash Pande and Joshi.

As many as 13 of the 26 elected Congress MLAs had “extended” their support to Saikia ahead of former ministers Ajanta Neog, Rakibul Hussain and former Speaker Pranab Gogoi. Most of the MLAs were in favour of appointing a “new face” to revive the party, party insiders said.

Former chief minister Tarun Gogoi had ruled himself out soon after the meeting.

AICC secretary Bhupen Kumar Borah and PCC general secretary Anil Raja welcomed the view, saying it was the “need” of the hour. Borah, in a tweet, hoped Saikia will help the party play the role of a “vibrant and constructive” Opposition in the Assembly.

Raja said the move was along expected lines. “Debabrata is a good choice because he is not only young and energetic but also politically sharp. Moreover, being the son of former chief minister Hiteswar Saikia, is another pluspoint,” Raja said.

The appointment of Saikia, who had sided with Gogoi during the infighting within the CLP to dethrone him, suggests that the AICC had taken the first step towards putting in place a new order to effectively tackle and revive the party which has been in decline since 2012.

Like former chief minister Tarun Gogoi, Saikia, 52, too hails from the influential Ahom community which has drifted away from the Congress.

Being the son of #former chief minister Hiteswar Saikia and mother #Hemoprova# who is still a Congress Working Committee member, Saikia junior’s journey so far has been anything but easy. He had to pull a lot of strings to secure a Congress ticket to become an MLA in 2011, but was not a “favourite” of the ousted dispensation, party insiders said. But he did well for himself to win the seat for the second time in a row when established names lost.

The party insiders said there would have been severe opposition if any of the old hands were to be appointed after the Congress’s crippling defeat.

“The defeat of several stalwarts has opened the doors for Saikia. Entrusting either Hussain or Neog or Gogoi would have sent a message that it had nothing new to offer, nobody to take the party forward. This is a huge step and it is now on Saikia to make the most of it. Overall it is a good decision to bring in new faces,” a PCC office-bearer said.

Others, like Raja, believe the surname “Saikia” would give him the edge and work for him now that he is in a leadership role.

Responding to his elevation, Saikia told The Telegraph late this evening that since the people of the state have given the Congress the “mandate to sit in the Opposition”, it would be his endeavour to play the role of an “active and constructive” Opposition.

Saikia said he would be meeting senior leaders Gogoi, Hussain, Neog to seek their blessings and suggestions to do justice to the role he has been entrusted with by the Congress high command.

“They are senior to me in experience. I will always try to draw from their experience,” Saikia said.

News Source The Telegraph