Assam: Asam Sahitya Sabha Forms Panel to Hold Polls for Top 2 Posts

Asam Sahitya Sabha, the state's oldest literary body, has set up a three-member election sub-committee to hold the polls for its two top posts, vice-president and general secretary, for the 2027-2029 term. The committee will be headed by Dr Thaneswar Kalita, a retired District and Sessions Judge, who has been appointed Chief Election Officer. The decision was announced in a press release signed by the Sabha's president and dated September 30. It said the committee has been formed under Article 14 of the Sabha's constitution and its Election Rules, 2018. The vice-president and general secretary are elected for a two-year term, and the new executive will take charge for 2027-2029. Dr Kalita, who is also a professor of law at Royal Global University, will lead the panel. The other two members are educationist Paresh Baishya and Dr Ratul Saikia, who is currently working as a notary with the Assam government. The Sabha has handed the committee full responsibility for conducting the election independently, as laid down in its constitution. It has also been allowed to take whatever steps it considers necessary to make sure the polls are free and fair, as long as these stay within the limits of the constitution. The schedule for the election notification has not been announced yet. The Sabha said the sub-committee itself will decide the dates and issue the notification in due course.