‘15 seats allotted to alliance partners’: Gaurav Gogoi on Congress preparations for Assam polls

Assam Pradesh Congress Committee president Gaurav Gogoi said the party is preparing for the upcoming Assam Assembly elections and has finalised candidates as well as seat-sharing arrangements with alliance partners.

Speaking to reporters on March 15, Gogoi said the Congress has announced its second list of candidates while allocating several constituencies to its allies.

“In view of the Assam Legislative Assembly elections, the Congress Party has announced the second list for 23 seats. Along with this, we have also announced seats for our alliance partners, various regions, and national left-wing parties on 15 seats,” he said.

The party released its second list on March14, naming 23 candidates and taking the total number of declared nominees to 65 out of the 126 Assembly constituencies in Assam.

The Congress has also fielded three-time MP Gaurav Gogoi from the Jorhat constituency.

Fifteen constituencies have been kept for alliance partners, including Bhowanipur-Sorbhoog, Bajali, Palasbari, Guwahati Central, Goreswar, Morigaon and Barhampur.

Among the newly announced candidates, former MP Abdul Khaleque will contest from Mandia. Kartik Chandra Ray has been nominated from Golakganj, Wazed Ali Choudhury from Birsing Jarua, Amrit Badsha from Bilasipara and Mohibur Rohman from Mankachar.

Other candidates include Abul Kalam Rasheed Alam from Goalpara East, Kishor Kumar Brahma from Dudhnoi (ST), Nurul Islam from Srijangram, Rakibuddin Ahmed from Chamaria and Pranjit Choudhury from Rangia.

Kishore Kumar Baruah will contest from Dimoria (SC), while Santanu Borah has been named from New Guwahati. Rijumoni Talukdar will contest from Mangaldai, Jhilli Choudhury from Hojai, Batash Urang from Dhekiajuli and Kartik Chandra Kurmi from Rangapara.

Dr Sankar Jyoti Kutum has been fielded from Gohpur, and Sailen Sonowal from Dhemaji (ST). Devid Phukan will contest from Tinsukia, Bipul Gogoi from Tingkhong, Sagorika Bora from Dergaon and Dhrubjyoti Purkayastha from Dholai (SC). Aminur Rashid Choudhury has been nominated from Karimganj South.

In the 2021 Assembly elections, the NDA alliance — comprising the Bharatiya Janata Party, Asom Gana Parishad and United People's Party Liberal — secured 75 seats, with the BJP emerging as the largest partner with 60 seats.

Voter turnout in 2021 stood at 86.2 per cent, with more than 2.2 crore registered voters participating in the polls.

Earlier, in the 2016 Assembly elections, the BJP won 60 seats while the Indian National Congress secured 26 seats. The All India United Democratic Front won 13 seats, with voter turnout recorded at 83.9 per cent across the state’s 126 constituencies.