Guwahati: The Assam government has reappointed senior advocate Devajit Lon Saikia as the Advocate General of the state for another five-year term, marking one of the first key decisions taken by the newly formed Himanta Biswa Sarma 2.0 government.
The decision was announced by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma during a media interaction following the first cabinet meeting held a day after the swearing-in ceremony.
Saikia had resigned from the post on May 6 following the completion of the previous government’s tenure, in keeping with constitutional convention. His resignation came shortly after the declaration of the Assam Assembly election results, which saw the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) secure a decisive victory.
Appointed as Advocate General in 2021, Saikia became the youngest person to hold the constitutional post in Assam at the age of 52 years and one month. During his tenure, he played a prominent role as the state government’s chief legal advisor and represented Assam in several significant constitutional and legal matters.
Apart from his legal career, Saikia is also a well-known figure in Indian cricket administration. A former first-class cricketer and ex-Secretary of the Assam Cricket Association, he currently serves as the Honorary Secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) after succeeding Jay Shah, who moved to the International Cricket Council (ICC).
With the appointment, Saikia became the first person from Northeast India to hold the position of BCCI Secretary. He also represents the Indian cricket board as a Board Director on the ICC board.
Before becoming Advocate General in 2021, Saikia had earlier served as the acting Advocate General in 2017 and also held the post of Senior Additional Advocate General, building extensive experience within Assam’s legal framework.