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2 min readGuwahatiMar 4, 2026 12:30 AM IST
While seat-sharing talks with its potential allies in the state are yet to be resolved, the Central Election Committee of the Congress has released a first list of 42 candidates for the upcoming Assam Assembly elections. There are a total of 126 Assembly constituencies in the state.
While multiple sitting MLAs feature in the first list, the party has picked Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi to contest from the Jorhat Assembly constituency. Though Gogoi is a three-time Lok Sabha MP, this will be the first time he is contesting Assembly elections. The party will be hoping for a repeat of his 2024 win from the Jorhat Lok Sabha constituency. Incumbent Jorhat MLA Hitendra Nath Goswami is a BJP leader.
Prominent sitting MLAs that the party has decided to field again include the Leader of the Opposition in the Assam Assembly, Debabrata Saikia, from the Nazira constituency, which he has represented for three consecutive terms. Nurul Huda from Rupohihat, Diganta Barman from Barkhetri, Nandita Das from Hajo-Sualkuchi, and Abdus Sobahan Ali Sarkar from Gauripur are also among the sitting Congress MLAs set to contest again.
Senior leaders from the party’s state leadership — Assam Mahila Congress president Mira Borthakur Goswami and former Assam Congress president Ripun Borah — also make the list. They will contest from the Dispur and Barchalla constituencies, respectively.
The list also features the sons of senior Congress leaders Paban Singh Ghatowar, who is a prominent tea community leader and former Union minister, and sitting Dhubri MP Rakibul Hussain. The former’s son, Pranjal Ghatowar, will be fielded from the Chabua-Lahowal constituency. Tanzil Hussain, the son of Rakibul Hussain, will contest from the Samaguri constituency, which his father represented for five consecutive terms before being elected to Lok Sabha in 2024. The party had also fielded him in the Samaguri bypoll that year, but he lost to the BJP — a stinging loss for the Congress in a constituency with a sizeable minority population.
Sukrita Baruah is a Principal Correspondent for The Indian Express, based in Guwahati. From this strategic hub, she provides comprehensive, ground-level coverage of India's North East, a region characterized by its complex ethnic diversity, geopolitical significance, and unique developmental challenges. Expertise and Experience Ethnic & Social Dynamics: Deep-dive coverage of regional conflicts (such as the crisis in Manipur) and peace-building efforts. Border & Geopolitics: Tracking developments along India’s international borders and their impact on local communities. Governance & Policy: Reporting on state elections, tribal council decisions, and the implementation of central schemes in the North East. Specialized Education Background: Prior to her current role, Sukrita was a dedicated Education Correspondent for The Indian Express in Delhi. This experience provided her with a sharp analytical lens for: Policy Analysis: Evaluating the National Education Policy (NEP) and university-level reforms. Student Affairs: Covering high-stakes stories regarding campus politics, national entrance exams, and the challenges within the primary and secondary education sectors. ... Read More
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