Congress candidate Ratan Das with party leader Rahul Gandhi.

The Congress has decided to field party leader Ratan Das from Badhraghat-SC constituency for the Tripura Assembly bypolls slated for September 23.

Interim Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Monday announced Das as the party candidate for Assembly bypolls.

“Sonia Gandhi has approved the candidature of Ratan Das as Congress candidate for the ensuing bye-elections to the Legislative Assembly of Tripura from Badhraghat-SC constituency,” party general secretary (chief election committee) Mukul Wasnik said in a statement.

The bye-poll in Tripura’s Badhraghat was necessitated after sitting MLA Dilip Sarkar died in early April this year after a prolonged illness.