Congress releases second list of 23 candidates for Assam polls

The Congress on Saturday unveiled its second list of 23 candidates for the forthcoming Assam assembly elections, sharpening its campaign push in the politically crucial northeastern state and signalling a steady march toward the electoral battle.

With the latest announcement by the All India Congress Committee (AICC), the party has now declared nominees for 65 constituencies out of Assam’s 126 assembly seats. The move follows the release of its first list of 42 candidates, reflecting the Congress’s attempt to seize early momentum and energise its cadre well before the formal election schedule is announced.

The second list features candidates across a broad swathe of the state—from lower and central Assam to upper Assam and the Barak Valley, underscoring the party’s effort to build a balanced electoral presence. Among the notable names fielded are Kartik Chandra Ray (Golakganj), Wazed Ali Choudhury (Birsing Jarua), Amrit Badsha (Bilasipara), Mohibur Rohman (Mankachar), Santanu Borah (New Guwahati), Riju Moni Talukdar (Mangaldai), Jhilli Choudhury (Hojai), Dr Sankar Jyoti Kutum (Gohpur) and Sailen Sonowal (Dhemaji-ST).

Other candidates announced include Nurul Islam (Srijangram), Abdul Khaleque (Mandia), Rakibuddin Ahmed (Chaygaon/Chamaria region), Pranjit Choudhury (Rangia), Kishore Kumar Baruah (Dimoria-SC), Batash Urang (Dhekiajuli), Kartik Chandra Kurmi (Rangapara), Devid Phukan (Tinsukia), Bipul Gogoi (Tingkhong), Sagarika Bora (Dergaon), Dhruv Jyoti Purkayastha (Dholai-SC) and Aminur Rashid Choudhury (Karimganj South).

At the same time, the Congress has kept several constituencies open for potential alliance partners, reflecting the fluid political negotiations underway. Seats such as Bhowanipur-Sorbhog, Bajali, Palasbari, Guwahati Central, Goreswar, Morigaon, Barhampur, Binnakandi, Behali, Sadiya, Dibrugarh, Khowang, Sarupathar, Diphu (ST) and Amri (ST) have been left vacant as part of ongoing seat-sharing discussions.

The announcement comes against the backdrop of shifting political equations in Assam, where Opposition unity remains a work in progress. Talks with Raijor Dal, once seen as a potential ally, have reportedly stalled for now, highlighting the complexities of forging a broad anti-incumbency front.

Meanwhile, the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) has already made it clear that it will contest the elections independently and has begun releasing its own slate of candidates, further shaping the evolving electoral landscape.

Sources within the party say the early declaration of candidates is a calculated strategy — designed to galvanise grassroots workers, sharpen local campaign structures and build political momentum ahead of the polls. The list was finalised after a series of high-level strategy meetings in New Delhi involving senior leaders including Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, who are closely overseeing the party’s preparations in Assam.

On the other side of the political aisle, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has yet to release its candidate list for the elections, though party sources indicate that names are likely to be announced in the coming week.

With the second list now in the public domain, the Congress has covered more than half of the state’s assembly constituencies, signalling an accelerated campaign tempo as it prepares to challenge the BJP-led alliance in what promises to be a closely watched electoral contest in the Northeast.

More candidate lists are expected in the days ahead, once alliance negotiations reach their conclusion and the party finalises nominees for the remaining seats.

With IANS inputs