Congress finalised 95 per cent of Assam poll candidates; list likely on March 14: Gaurav Gogoi

The Congress has finalised candidates for about 95 per cent of the seats for the upcoming Assam Assembly elections, with the list expected to be released on March 14, according to Assam Pradesh Congress Committee president Gaurav Gogoi.

The announcement followed a meeting of the Congress Central Election Committee (CEC), chaired by Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and party president Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Gogoi said most of the constituencies had already been discussed and approved by the party leadership.

“We have discussed about 95 per cent of the seats of Assam. The list may come tomorrow. We will soon discuss the remaining seats also,” he said.

Party leaders indicated that consultations on the remaining constituencies would continue before the final list is made public.

Meanwhile, the party received a political boost earlier this week when former Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) national finance secretary Jayanta Khaound joined the Congress along with several other leaders.

Khaound was formally inducted into the party at the Congress headquarters in the presence of senior leaders, including AICC general secretary and Assam in-charge Jitendra Singh Alwar, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and senior observer for Assam D K Shivakumar, APCC president Gaurav Gogoi and national secretary Manoj Chauhan.

Welcoming Khaound, Gogoi said the entry of leaders with grassroots support reflects “growing public discontent in Assam against the leadership of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.”

He also claimed that there is a “rising wave of political change in Assam” ahead of the Assembly elections.