Gaurav Gogoi, sons of senior leaders in first list of Congress candidates for Assam polls

The list comprises candidates from diverse communities, aligning with party's push for 'secular and inclusive' image

Guwahati: It's official now! Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi will contest the Assembly elections in Assam for the first time.

The Opposition party on Tuesday released its first list of 42 candidates for the Assembly elections in the state that comprised Gogoi, the Deputy leader of the party in Lok Sabha and president of Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC), and sons of two senior leaders.

The list has 11 current and former MLAs including the leader of the Congress Legislature party, Debabrata Saikia, who is the son of former Chief Minister Hiteswar Saikia.

Veteran leaders, Pranati Phukan, Ajit Singh (former ministers), Ripun Bora, former APCC president and Rajya Sabha member, Nandita Das (present MLA), Nurul Huda and Durga Bhumij (former MLAs) are among the prominent faces named in the first list. It also has five women candidates including Mira Borthakur Goswami for the prestigious Dispur Assembly constituency, where the state capital complex is situated.

The party's first list tried to give representation to diverse communities, aligning with its constant push for a "secular and inclusive" image to counter BJP's "infiltrators" narrative. Five Muslim candidates figure in the first list.

Gaurav, son of former CM Tarun Gogoi, has been named as a candidate in Assamese-dominated Jorhat constituency. Gaurav was elected twice to the Lok Sabha from Kaliabor (2014 and 2019) before switching to Jorhat in 2024. But, this will be his first Assembly poll contest.

Gaurav's fight is significant given Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's constant attack on him including allegations about links with Pakistan. Sarma, who quit Congress and joined BJP in 2015, mainly due to Gaurav's entry into politics, recently alleged that Gaurav and his British wife, Elizabeth have links with Pakistan. Gaurav rejected the charges.

Tarun Gogoi-led government was defeated in 2016 when BJP formed its first government in Assam with Sarbananda Sonowal as the CM. Sonowal was replaced by Sarma in 2021 when the saffron party formed the government for the second term.

Although Sarma has constantly targeted Gaurav, the party pushed him to the forefront by giving him the charge of APCC president in May last year.

Sons of two Lok Sabha members and a former Lok Sabha member figures in the first list. Tanzil Hussain, son of Lok Sabha member from Dhubri Rakibul Hussain has been fielded in Samaguri while Prateek Bordoloi, son of LS member from Nagaon, Pradyut Bordoloi, has been named for Margherita. Pranjal Ghatowar, son of  former five-time MP, Pawan Singh Ghatowar, respectively, have also been named in the first list for Chabua-Lahowal. Hussain, Bordoloi and Ghatowar were close to Tarun Gogoi. Hussain was elected to the Assembly from Samaguri for five times before he became Lok Sabha member in 2024 from Dhubri by defeating Badruddin Ajmal of AIUDF. Tanzil contested the by-polls in Samaguri last year but lost to BJP's Diplu Ranjan Sarma. 

Pradyut was elected earlier from Margherita Assembly constituency before he became Lok Sabha member from Nagaon. 

Rakibul, Debabrata and Pradyut are now among the key strategists for the party with Gaurav as the leader. 

Elections for the 126 member Assembly in Assam is slated in April.