A former top cop of Assam police will head the Asam Sahitya Sabha, the state’s biggest literary body.

Kuladhar Saikia, who retired as director-general of Assam police on August 31 last year and served another three months on extension, emerged winner in the Sabha’s election, counting for which was done here on Thursday evening. He was an IPS officer (1985 batch).

As the result was announced, many congratulated Saikia, hoping that under his leadership the Sabha would get a new direction. He will assume office for a two-year term in the next biennial session of the Sabha to be held soon. The president’s post of the Sabha is considered to be one of the most prestigious in the state.

Saikia studied at Delhi School of Economics and did PhD in economics of crime from IIT Guwahati. He is a Fulbright fellow from Pennsylvania State University and former consultant at World Bank at Washington DC.

The 61-year-old writer has a number of short story collections to his kitty. In 2015 he had won the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award for his short story collection Akaxor Sobi Aaru Onyanyo Golpo (Picture of the Sky and Other Tales).

Six other writers were in the fray for the Sabha president’s post. Saikia received 269 votes. His opponents were Surya Hazarika received 74 votes, Prahlad Chandra Tasa (88 votes), Basant Kumar Goswami (46 votes), Kabari Deka Hazarika (75 votes), Jayshree Goswami Mahanta (69 votes). Pakhila Kalita did not get any vote.

The counting began at Hojai Girls’ College Cultural Complex in central Assam on Thursday evening.

Writer Mrinalini Devi, who got 308 votes, was elected vice-president. She is the mother of Assam cabinet minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. Her opponent Padumi Gogoi received 96 votes, while Basant Kumar Sarma got 152 votes and Rati Mohan Nath 63 votes. Jadhav Sarma was elected general secretary (323 votes) against his rivals Debojit Borah who got 255 votes and Hirendra Kalita (36 votes).

Additional reporting by a staff reporter in Guwahati