Five new Assam MLAs take oath

Five new MLAs, who were elected in the recently held by-elections, on Thursday took oath as legislators of the Assam Assembly.

In a brief programme, Assam Legislative Assembly Speaker Biswajit Daimary administered the oath to BJP MLAs Phanidhar Talukdar, Rupjyoti Kurmi and Sushanta Borgohain, and ruling alliance UPPL's Jiron Basumatary and Jolen Daimary.

While the BJP legislators took the oath in Assamese, the UPPL members read out the oath statement in Bodo.

The swearing-in-ceremony began with the playing of the National Anthem in instrumental and ended with pre-recorded singing of the state anthem 'O Mor Aponar Desh'.

BJP candidates Talukdar, Kurmi and Borgohain won Bhabanipur, Mariani and Thowra constituencies respectively. All the three were elected as opposition MLAs during the assembly elections held in March-April this year, but later resigned and joined the saffron party.

UPPL's Basumatary and Daimary bagged the Gossaigaon and Tamulpur seats respectively.

Also Read: BJP, Congress face off in bypolls to 5 Assembly seats in Assam

With these victories in the by-elections, the BJP's strength in the 126-member Assam Assembly has increased to 62 and UPPL's to seven. The other ruling ally AGP, which did not field any candidate in the by-elections, has nine MLAs.

In the opposition camp, the Congress's strength is 27, AIUDF has 15 members, BPF has three and CPI(M) has one MLA. There is also an Independent legislator.