Assam Assembly Polls: Congress releases first list of 40 candidates

Congress released the first list of 40 candidates that it will field in the Assam Assembly elections to be held in the state in three phases on March 27, April 1, and April 6 this year. At least half of the 40 candidates whose names were announced in the Congress' first list are new faces. The party is now mulling to consult former chief minister Tarun Gogoi's family members before deciding on a nominee for the Tibator constituency which was held by the former for three terms before his demise last year in November.

The Congress aims to defend the Tibator seat which it has held for three consecutive terms. The party is yet to announce the names of its candidates for Tinsukia, Dhakuakhana, Behali, Dhing, and Bokakhat, and AIUDF- held Naoboicha. A Congress spokesperson was quoted by PTI as saying that a few of the aforementioned seats will be allotted to alliance partners. Congress is set to contest in the assembly polls as a part of the "Grand Alliance" that comprises AIUDF, BPF, CPI(M), CPI, CPI-ML, and Anchalik Gana Morcha.

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Interesting turn of events in Golaghat

Golaghat has witnessed certain interesting political developments with sitting MLA Ajanta Neog quitting the Congress and is contesting the polls on the BJP ticket. State Congress chief and Rajya Sabha MP Ripun Bora is set to contest the Gohpur assembly seat where his wife Monica Bora was defeated by the BJP candidate. The list has the names of 20 new faces and six sitting MLAs including Congress Legislature Party leader Debabrata Saikia in Nazira.

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Congress has meanwhile also given tickets to 12 candidates including four women who had lost by little margins in the 2016 polls. This includes Rana Goswami in Jorhat, Sushanta Borgohain in Thowra, Suruj Dehinga in Mahmara, Bhupen Kumar Borah in Bihpuria, Praneswar Basumatary in Sootea, Dhruba Gogoi in Duliajan, and Etuwa Munda in Tingkhong.

Apart from Bitupan Saikia in Golaghat, the party has also fielded former BJP leader and Tezpur MP Ram Prasad Sarma, who recently joined the Congress, in Barchalla seat. Dhekiajuli, Tezpur, Rangapara, Bishwanath, Kaliabor, Sonari, Sibsagar, Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Jonai, Moran, Dibrugarh, Lahowal, Chabua, Digboi, Margherita, and Sadiya are the other constituencies where Congress has placed its new candidates. 

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