Congress releases candidate list for Assam assembly polls

Chief minister of Assam Tarun Gogoi and assembly speaker Tanka Bahadur Rai figure in the Congress' list of 118 candidates for the Assam assembly elections.

The Congress finalised the names of all 118 candidates of the 126-member state assembly at a meeting of party's election committee chaired by Sonia Gandhi on Saturday.

The party is seeking a third consecutive term in power in Assam, which will have a two-phased polling with the first phase covering 62 assembly seats on April 4 and the remaining 64 seats on April 11. Counting of votes will take place on May 13.

The list includes most of the sitting MLAs including ministers and former ministers of the state.

A piquant situation has arisen in the state with UPA ally Trinamool Congress deciding to field candidates in all seats with a view to expand its base in North-East, which could help it in getting national party status.