The Prime Minister of Assam was the

head of government The head of government is the highest or the second-highest official in the executive branch of a sovereign state, a federated state, or a self-governing colony, autonomous region, or other government who often presides over a cabinet, ...

and the Leader of the House in the Legislative Assembly of

Assam Province Assam Province was a province of British India, created in 1912 by the partition of the Eastern Bengal and Assam Province. Its capital was in Shillong. The Assam territory was first separated from Bengal in 1874 as the 'North-East Frontier' n ...

British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance on the Indian subcontinent. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one ...

. The position was dissolved upon the Partition of India in 1947.

History

The office was created under the Government of India Act 1935. During the

1937 Indian provincial elections Provincial elections were held in British India in the winter of 1936-37 as mandated by the Government of India Act 1935. Elections were held in eleven provinces - Madras, Central Provinces, Bihar, Orissa, United Provinces, Bombay Presidency, A ...

in Assam, the

Indian National Congress The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party but often simply the Congress, is a political party in India with widespread roots. Founded in 1885, it was the first modern nationalist movement to emerge in the British E ...

emerged as the single largest party. But due to its pan-Indian policy of boycotting constitutional government under the British Raj, it refused to form government and became the main opposition party. Hence, the governor invited the Assam Provincial

Muslim League Muslim League may refer to: Political parties Subcontinent ; British India *All-India Muslim League, Mohammed Ali Jinah, led the demand for the partition of India resulting in the creation of Pakistan. **Punjab Muslim League, a branch of the organ ...

, led by Sir Syed Muhammad Saadulla, to form the government in April 1937. The first Saadulla ministry collapsed in September 1938. The Assamese Congress, led by

Gopinath Bordoloi Gopinath Bordoloi (6 June 1890 – 5 August 1950) was a politician and Indian independence activist who served as the first Chief Minister of Assam. He was a follower of the Gandhian principle of non-violence as a political tool. Due to his un ...

, claimed the right to form government and was invited by the governor to do so on 21 September.Kuri Shatikar Kurijan Bishista Asamiya, Editors-Sharma, Dr. Pranati and Sharma, Anil. Journal Emporium, 1999 The Bordoloi ministry saw the beginning of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. After a request from

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (; ; 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948), popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist Quote: "... marks Gandhi as a hybrid cosmopolitan figure who transformed ... anti- ...

, the Bordoloi ministry resigned in 1939. Across India, Congress leaders including Bordoloi were arrested in 1940 due to the Congress's strong opposition to war efforts. The Congress was briefly outlawed during the

Quit India The Quit India Movement, also known as the August Kranti Movement, was a movement launched at the Bombay session of the All India Congress Committee by Mahatma Gandhi on 8th August 1942, during World War II, demanding an end to British rule i ...

movement. Saadulla was invited to form two ministries in 17 November 1939 and 24 August 1942, with intervening periods of Governor's rule in between. Saadulla served as Prime Minister for a total of 9 years. Bordoloi was released in 1944. During the 1946 Indian provincial elections, the Congress led by Bordoloi received a majority and formed government once again. On 6 July 1947, the

Sylhet referendum The 1947 Sylhet referendum was held in the Sylhet District of the Assam Province of British India to decide whether the district would remain in Undivided Assam and therefore within the post-independence Dominion of India, or leave Assam for E ...

voted for the partition of Muslim-majority Sylhet district from Assam; and merger with

East Bengal ur, , common_name = East Bengal , status = Province of the Dominion of Pakistan , p1 = Bengal Presidency , flag_p1 = Flag of British Bengal.svg , s1 = East ...

. Bordoloi later became the first

Chief Minister of Assam The chief minister of Assam, an Indian state, is the head of the Government of Assam. As per the Constitution of India, the governor is the state's ''de jure'' head, but ''de facto'' executive authority rests with the chief minister. Following ...

after Indian independence in 1947.

Office holders

References

{{Reflist Provinces of British India Prime Ministers of British India

History

Office holders

See also

References