Guwahati: Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi on Tuesday said the first list of party candidates for the upcoming Assam Assembly elections is expected to be released by the end of this month.
Speaking at a press conference, Gogoi said the party is working to complete the screening process at the earliest. “We have been instructed by the central leadership to ensure the first list is out by the month-end,” he added, noting that around 80 candidates are likely to be finalised in the initial phase.
The announcement comes ahead of Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s two-day visit to Assam starting Thursday. Gogoi said Vadra, who oversees the party’s affairs in the state, will attend a series of meetings with party members and the screening committee for the Assembly elections.
During her visit, Vadra is scheduled to meet office-bearers of the Assam Congress, senior All India Congress Committee (AICC) observers, political affairs committee members, MLAs, district presidents, leaders of frontal organisations, and MPs. She will also participate in screening committee meetings alongside senior party leaders.
Gogoi indicated that the Congress-led opposition alliance is expected to contest the elections on a common platform, with seat-sharing discussions underway among the alliance partners.
The 126-member Assam Assembly is likely to go to polls in March–April. Currently, the ruling BJP holds 64 seats, its allies Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) nine, United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL) seven, and one Independent aligned with the government. The Congress has 26 MLAs, the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) 15, and one Independent sits with the opposition.