Raijor Dal names candidates for two more seats for Assam polls

Opposition party Raijor Dal has announced candidates for two more constituencies for the upcoming Assembly elections in Assam, taking the total number of nominees declared by the party so far to 13.

In a statement issued on March 14, party president and MLA Akhil Gogoi named Harikanta Das as the candidate from Naoboicha Assembly constituency and Babul Sonowal from Dhemaji Assembly constituency.

The party had earlier announced its first list of candidates for 11 constituencies on March 4.

Raijor Dal, which was previously part of the opposition alliance in the state, will contest the upcoming elections independently after its seat-sharing talks with the Indian National Congress failed.

In the previous Assembly elections, Gogoi had won the Sivasagar Assembly constituency as an Independent candidate and currently represents Raijor Dal as its lone MLA in the Assembly. His name has not been included in either of the candidate lists announced so far.

In the present 126-member Assembly, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party holds 64 seats. Its allies, Asom Gana Parishad has nine MLAs, United People's Party Liberal has seven, and Bodoland People's Front has three members.

Among the opposition parties, the Congress has 26 MLAs, All India United Democratic Front has 15 members and Communist Party of India (Marxist) has one MLA, besides one Independent legislator.