Guwahati: The Congress has drawn up an initial list of 45 candidates for the upcoming Assam Assembly polls, retaining most current MLAs.
Party insiders, however, suggested that the official release of the list could be postponed until the BJP announces its candidate lineup.
CEC leaders approved the names during a virtual session on Friday, reviewing recommendations from the state unit and the screening committee. The party appears to be holding off on publishing the list as a tactical move, allowing adjustments after BJP’s announcements.
The session also discussed candidate allocations for the newly created Binnakandi and Khowang constituencies. While there was talk of giving these seats to allies, some party members expressed dissatisfaction.
The potential candidacies of the sons of Nagaon MP Pradyut Bordoloi and Dhubri MP Rakibul Hussain were also considered.
Congress intends to contest about 100 seats, but talks with allies on seat-sharing continue. These arrangements have sparked protests in the state unit, including demonstrations over plans to leave Sarupathar and Bhawanipur-Sorbhog for the Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) and the CPM. In Golaghat, Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi faced protests from workers opposing the decision to vacate Sarupathar.
This meeting comes shortly after senior Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra visited Assam for two days. She led the first screening committee session for the state on February 23, engaging extensively with local leaders and party workers.
The panel included Jitendra Singh, Manoj Chauhan, Prithviraj Sathe, Vikas Upadhyay, Gaurav Gogoi, and CLP leader Debabrata Saikia.
During her visit, Priyanka collected feedback from block- and district-level workers on potential candidates. Assam’s 126 assembly seats are expected to go to polls in April.