The Congress party on Saturday unveiled its second list of 23 candidates for the upcoming Assam Assembly elections, bringing the total number of nominees announced so far to 65 for the 126-member House. The announcement was made by Congress general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal, reflecting the party’s strategic push ahead of the expected polls in April. Alongside these nominations, the party has reserved 15 seats for its alliance partners, reinforcing its efforts to consolidate the Opposition camp and present a united front against the ruling BJP-led government.
Key Renominations and Notable Candidates
Among the second list, three sitting MLAs have been renominated: Wazed Ali Choudhury from Birsing Jarua, Abul Kalam Rasheed Alam from Goalpara East, and Rakibuddin Ahmed from Chamaria. Former Lok Sabha MP Abdul Khaleque, who has also served two terms as an MLA, will contest from the Mandia constituency. Other notable names include Bipul Gogoi from Tingkhong, Kartik Chandra Kurmi from Rangapara, Santanu Borah from New Guwahati, Kishore Kumar Barua from Dimoria, Nurul Islam from Srijangram, and Devid Phukan from Tinsukia. The list highlights Congress’ strategy of combining experienced legislators with fresh faces to maximize its electoral reach.
Alliance Strategy and Opposition Dynamics
The Congress is leading an alliance of Opposition parties, including CPI(M) and Assam Jatiya Parishad, with CPI (ML) Liberation recently extending its support to the coalition. Several constituencies, such as Bajali, Palasbari, Guwahati Central, Goreswar, Morigaon, Barhampur, Bindakandi, Behali, Dibrugarh, and Diphu, have been earmarked for alliance partners. Raijor Dal, which had been part of the Opposition alliance in previous elections, is not part of this arrangement this time, although its chief Akhil Gogoi won the last Assembly election as an Independent. By releasing candidates before the official election schedule, Congress aims to project momentum and confidence while focusing on key constituencies and high-profile leaders.
Assam’s Political Landscape Ahead of Elections
The upcoming Assembly polls will be the first in Assam since the delimitation of constituencies in 2023, which redrew boundaries without changing the total number of seats. The BJP currently holds 64 MLAs, while its allies AGP, UPPL, and BPF have nine, seven, and three members respectively. In the Opposition camp, Congress has 26 MLAs, AIUDF 15, CPI(M) one, along with one Independent. Key candidates include Gaurav Gogoi contesting from Jorhat, Debabrata Saikia from Nazira, and former PCC president Ripun Bora from Barchalla. The elections are poised to be a critical test for both the ruling BJP seeking a third consecutive term and the Opposition striving to regain power in Assam.
