Delimitation gambit: Assam Congress shifts sitting MLA Abdus Sobhan Ali Sarkar to redrawn Gauripur seat

The All India Congress Committee (AICC) has rolled out its first list of 42 candidates for the upcoming Assam Assembly elections, naming sitting Golakganj MLA Abdus Sobhan Ali Sarkar as the party nominee for the newly reconfigured Gauripur Assembly constituency (No. 7).

The announcement, made by AICC General Secretary KC Venugopal, signals the Congress party’s formal entry into the electoral fray. Sarkar’s candidature from Gauripur reflects a significant political recalibration following Assam’s recent delimitation exercise, which has substantially altered the electoral contours of Dhubri district.

Under the new arrangement, Dhubri’s assembly segments have been reduced from six to five, with Bilasipara West constituency dissolved and its areas redistributed among adjoining seats. The reshaped Gauripur constituency has now emerged as one of the largest in the state, comprising 33 gaon panchayats. Several areas previously under Golakganj—including Gauripur town wards and villages such as Dhepdhepi, Doomardah, Gaikhowa and Moterjhar—have been integrated into Gauripur.

For Sarkar, the transition carries both political and personal significance. His native village, Sonakhuli—earlier part of Golakganj—now falls within Gauripur. While he continues as the sitting MLA of Golakganj until the end of the present term, Sarkar expressed satisfaction over the party’s decision, stating that he has long wished to represent his home constituency.

Speaking to the media, he said he has been actively working in Gauripur since the Lok Sabha elections and remains confident about the party’s prospects. He asserted that Congress is witnessing growing grassroots momentum and predicted that a Congress-led coalition government under the leadership of Gaurav Gogoi will assume power in Assam.