The Congress on Sunday said its candidates for 10 of Assam’s 14 Lok Sabha seats would be declared on Monday and former chief minister Tarun Gogoi will not be contesting the elections.
Putting to rest speculations about the candidature of Gogoi, Congress general secretary in charge of Assam Harish Rawat said, “Gogoi has informed us that he will not contest the election.”
Nine candidates will be finalised in Monday’s meeting of the Central Election Committee in New Delhi. The party has already announced candidates for five Lok Sabha seats–Kaliabor, Jorhat, Dibrugarh, Silchar and Karimganj .
Assam will see polling in the first three phases –April 11, 18 and 23 – on the seven phase Lok Sabha election.
Rawat, who later left for New Delhi on Sunday, said that candidates for the five seats in Uttarakhand would also be declared on Monday.
Asked whether he would like to contest this time, Rawat said he would like to work for the election campaign rather than contest. “But this decision has to be taken by the high command,” he said.
