Congress announces first list of 42 candidates for Assam assembly polls

The Congress on Tuesday, 3 March, released its first list of 42 candidates for the upcoming Assam assembly polls. State party chief Gaurav Gogoi will contest from the Jorhat seat.

Taking a lead in announcing the names of its candidates even before the formal declaration of election, the party announced that state Congress Legislature Party leader Debabrata Saikia will contest from the Nazira consituency.

Former PCC president Ripun Bora has been fielded from Barchalla.

According to the list of candidates released by K.C. Venugopal, AICC general secretary, Abdus Sobahan Ali Sarkar has been fielded from Gauripur; Markline Marak from Goalpara West (reserved for Scheduled Tribe candidates); Girish Baruah from Bongaigaon; and Mahananda Sarkar from Barpeta (reserved for Scheduled Cast candidates).

Ramen Singh Rabha will be the party candidate from the Boko-Chaygaon (ST) seat, Nandita Das from Hajo-Sualkuchi (SC) and Satyabrat Kalita from Kamalpur.

Mira Borthakur Goswami has been fielded from Dispur, while Diganta Barman will be the party candidate from Barkhetri and Ashok Kumar Sarma from Nalbari.

Elections for the 126-member Assam assembly are likely to be held in April. The Congress has been out of power in the state since 2016.